Japanese organizing official discusses possibility Olympics could be postponed 1-2 years

Japanese organizing official discusses possibility Olympics could be postponed 1-2 years
# 11 March 2020 10:53 (UTC +04:00)

A member of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee's executive board said that the Olympics would most likely be postponed by one or two years if they could not go on as scheduled, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Apa Sport reports quoting the Wall Street Journal.

Haruyuki Takahashi, who is one of the executive board's 25 members, told the newspaper in an article published Tuesday that other alternatives — such as holding the Games without spectators or canceling them altogether — would have significant financial ramifications, which makes a postponement the most likely alternative.

"I don’t think the Games could be canceled. It’d be a delay," Takahashi said.

"The International Olympic Committee would be in trouble if there’s a cancellation. American TV rights alone provide them with a huge amount."

Spokespeople for Tokyo 2020 did not immediately respond to an email from USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday seeking additional information.

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