Olympics 2020 | Won’t send our athletes to Olympics unless Games are postponed, states Canada
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The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), on Sunday, issued a statement, confirming that it won’t be sending its athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Games unless the IOC postpones the event. The IOC earlier revealed that it had given itself a four-week deadline to decide on the fate of the tournament.
As uncertainty looms over the future of the 2020 Tokyo Games, with the games originally scheduled to start in exactly four months time, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has become the first top nation to make a move of significance. On Sunday, they confirmed that Canadian athletes won’t participate in the 2020 games unless and until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) postpones the event.
In an official statement issued on their website, the COC described the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as a public health hazard and confirmed that Canadian athletes will not participate should the tournament go ahead as scheduled. The association further pleaded the IOC, International Paralympic Association (IPC) and WHO World Health Organization (WHO) to coordinate and sketch out a plan to reschedule the games, possibly next year, and added that they took the decision prioritizing the safety of the Canadian athletes.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020,” read an official statement from COC.
“The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring. While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.
“This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow,” the statement further read.
The IOC had earlier given itself a four-week deadline to take a final call on the future of the Olympics but assured that it will not be cancelling the games at any cost. The COC appreciated the IOC’s decision to not cancel the games and further went on to thank the committee for acknowledging the ongoing crisis, something that has infected more than 300,000 people and claimed close to 15,000 lives.
“The COC and CPC reviewed the letter and news release sent Sunday by the IOC. We are thankful to the IOC for its assurance that it will not be cancelling the Tokyo 2020 Games and appreciative that it understands the importance of accelerating its decision-making regarding a possible postponement. We also applaud the IOC for acknowledging that safeguarding the health and wellness of nations and containing the virus must be our paramount concern. We are in the midst of a global health crisis that is far more significant than sport.”
