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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Times reported, citing an anonymous high-ranking member of the ruling coalition.
The government’s focus is now on securing the Tokyo Games in the next available year, 2032, the newspaper said.
Japan has been less affected by the pandemic than many other advanced economies, but a recent surge in cases has led it to close its borders to non-resident foreigners and to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and major cities.
About 80% of people in Japan do not want the Games to be held this summer, recent opinion polls show, for fear that the influx of athletes will further spread the virus.
In this context, the government is looking for a way to save face by announcing a cancellation that leaves the door open to Tokyo’s lodging at a later date, according to The Times report.
“Nobody wants to be the first to say it, but the consensus is that it is too difficult,” The Times quoted the source. “Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
Organizers of the games did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Organizers and the Japanese government have previously pledged to go ahead with preparations for the Games, which will open on July 23.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said this week that the main event “will bring hope and courage to the world.”
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach reaffirmed his commitment to holding the Games this year in an interview with Kyodo News on Thursday.
“At this time, we have no reason to believe that the Tokyo Olympics will not open on July 23 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium,” Bach told Kyodo.
(Reporting by Takashi Umekawa and Chris Gallagher; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen Coates)
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