Kenya backs postponing of 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Kenya has joined United States and Britain among other countries and individual athletes in calling for the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Canada and Australia have already withdrawn from the Games. International Olympics Committee (IOC) on Sunday, announced it would make a decision on the Games in four weeks. The window is expected to allow IOC time to study their options.
Amongst options to be considered is a modification of existing operational plans to allow the Games to begin on July 24 as scheduled, changes to the start date, and postponement. However, IOC maintains that cancellation is not on the agenda.
Team Kenya’s head of delegation to the Games Waithaka Kioni says the current situation globally is not conducive for an event of the magnitude of Olympics to take place, adding that July is too near to ensure, without a doubt, that athletes’ safety will be guaranteed.
“We are joining the rest of the world in urging IOC to consider postponement of the games.
It is better to be safe than sorry. Our athletes have been advised to follow the Ministry of health’s directives and take the necessary precautions. This means most of them have stopped training.
Only a small fraction, especially those in individual disciplines, could be able to continue training but this is not possible for team sports,” said Kioni.
Calls for postponement have been met with counter arguments on what it could mean to move the games both logistically and financially.
A move to a later date in the year has been touted to be a big hit for the organisers where certain venues may not be available then.
Some are also likely to incur losses in hotel bookings.
The option of moving the games to next year has also been faulted as it would mean disrupting certain disciplines’ calendars. Next year has also been termed “crowded” with several international sporting events scheduled to take place.
World Athletics Championship is slated for August in the United States, World Swimming Championship is also expected to take place in Japan between July 16 and August 1 while the European football Championship had already been postponed from this year to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) acting Secretary General Francis Mutuku says the body has fully subjected itself to the authorities especially the now invoked Public Safety Act.
“The government has stated that the life and safety of Kenyans is the priority and we stand in solidarity with that position.
In the event IOC decides that the Games should continue as scheduled, we will need to consult widely with the government, athletes and our affiliates in order to reach a decision on whether or not to field a team in Japan, “ said Mutuku.
