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Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), has expressed that he is 'very, very confident' spectators will be able to attend the Tokyo Olympic Games next year. Bach is currently in Japan to discuss how the Games could get held next year, and recently had a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Suga mentioned in the meeting that he is looking forward to working efficiently with Bach and the IOC to host the mega event. The Tokyo Olympic Games, originally due to start in July, were postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Confident that we can have spectators in the Tokyo Olympics: Thomas Bach
Bach returned to Tokyo after the busy capital hosted a one-day gymnastics meet earlier this month, titled 'Friendship and Solidarity Competition'. Around 2,000 fans followed safety protocols and socially distanced at the Yoyogi No.1 Gymnasium, as the event saw over 30 athletes from several parts of the world compete in bio-secure conditions.
Bach spoke to the media about planning several measures so that the spectators could attend the event.
"We are putting really a huge tool box together in which we will put all the different measures we can imagine. This makes us all very, very confident we can have spectators in the Olympic stadium next year."
Earlier in March, Bach and former prime minister Shinzo Abe decided to call off the Tokyo Olympics and postpone it to the next year due to the widespread pandemic. The IOC has remained confident the Games will take place next year 'with or without coronavirus,' while the Japanese Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said that they must be held 'at any cost' in 2021.
Bach will also discuss accommodating more than 11,000 athletes from across the world, and boost confidence among citizens and Olympic sponsors in his two-day visit to Tokyo. The Olympics will now take place from July 23rd till August 8th, 2021.
