OC President: Olympia will not be postponed again

Tokyo (AP) - The Olympic Games in Tokyo, which have been postponed to next year, are to be canceled in the event of a continuing corona pandemic.

Yoshiro Mori, President of the Japanese Organizing Committee, said in an interview with the Japanese tabloid sports newspaper "Nikkan Sports". When asked if the games would be postponed to 2022 if the pandemic wasn't over, Mori told the paper, "No. Then it will be canceled." Other Japanese media did not take up his statement.

Meanwhile, the head of the Japan Medical Association, Yoshitake Yokokura, told journalists on Tuesday that he thinks it will be difficult to host the games next summer if there is still no vaccine against the novel corona virus.

"In the past, the games were also canceled because of war. This time it is a battle against invisible enemies. We have decided to defeat these enemies and to host the games next summer. It is a bet that involves all of humanity" quoted the tabloid Mori.

"If you can host the Olympic Games after beating the virus, the games are worth a lot more than the previous games. You have to see it that way, otherwise all the work and effort will be wasted," said the President of the Japanese NOK.

Because of the pandemic, Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had postponed the games for a long time at the end of March. They are now scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021.