Even as India prepared to go into an extended lock-down on Monday because of the spread of coronavirus, Canada announced it was withdrawing from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and proposed that it be held in 2021. Soon, Australia, too, followed suit. Even IAAF chief Sebastian Coe called for its postponement. This, even after International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach clarified in his address to athletes worldwide that cancellation was not an option.
In India, too, with the number of positive COVID-19 cases on the rise, several athletes had raised concerns about holding the Olympics in July this year. All England Open champion and India's chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand had said that Olympics should be postponed. But others like weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who has qualified for the Olympics and is currently training for it, is raring to take part in the Games and win a medal for India.
IOA president Dr. Narendra Dhruv Batra said he is monitoring the situation closely and reassured Indian athletes that their health was paramount. In a statement issued on Monday evening, Batra said, "I am personally in touch on regular and continuous basis with Union ministry of sports, Sports Authority of India, International Olympic Committee, National Sports Federations in India and with athletes through the NSF's and all stake holders regarding the 2020 Olympics and preparations for Olympics. All Olympic sports international federations had a video call with the IOC president on 17th March and all 206 NOC's had a video call with the IOC president on 19th March to discuss on COVID-19 and the Olympics. All NOC's have to get back to IOC this week on their preparations and the health of Athletes in their respective countries. The health and safety of athletes is prime concern of IOA and of the Union sports ministry and there will be no compromise in this regard."
Responding to these concerns, Indian Olympic Association Secretary Rajeev Mehta advised all athletes to give priority to their health and safety. "Our message to all our athletes is take rest, stay indoors. We are following all the developments but cannot take any big decision at this stage. The coronavirus is in India, too, but mercifully not of the same proportion as it is in Europe or USA. It is too early to take a call right now. Besides, we will wait for IOC's decision in four weeks and then call our own executive body meeting to discuss the matter."
Although SAI has shut down its training centres, a few where teams or athletes training for Olympics are staying are open. For example, both mens and women's hockey teams are based out of SAI , Bengaluru, and weightlifters are in NIS Patiala.
Mehta also said that any decision to withdraw from the Olympics will not be an easy one, as it involves consultations with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which is overseeing all Olympics-related preparations of Indian athletes.
SAI has shut down all its training centres, except a few where teams or athletes training for Olympics are staying. For example, both the men's and women's hockey teams are at SAI, Bengaluru, wrestlers are in SAI, Sonipat, while track and field athletes are in NIS, Patiala.
US Track and Field Association, too, called for a postponement of Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, with the likes of legendary sprinter and nine-time Olympic Champion Carl Lewis wanting it to be shifted to 2022.
However, Bach, in his address to athletes, said it's premature to take a decision on Olympics and setting a date to it. He told athletes a decision on the Games would be made "within the next four weeks". But, he added that "there are significant improvements in Japan" and he still had hopes the Games could be held as per schedule, even if it would present logistical difficulties.
Bach, an Olympian himself in fencing, empathised with athletes saying he understood their turmoil. "I had an experience of uncertainty as an athlete in the lead-up to the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. We were uncertain whether the Games would take place and whether we would be allowed to participate. Quite frankly, I would have preferred it if the decision-makers then would have taken more time to decide on a more sound basis of information.
“Our basis of information today is that a final decision about the date of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 now would still be premature."
He explained that "contrary to other sports events, to postpone the Olympic Games is an extremely complex challenge".
