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TOKYO (Reuters) – Spectators at the beleaguered Tokyo Games are not “essential,” said Dick Pound, a member of the International Olympic Committee, in an interview with Kyodo News on Wednesday.
After postponing the Games last year due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Saturday marks six months until the reorganized Olympics begin on July 23.
Organizers have said they will make a decision on whether spectators can enter the venues in late February or March.
“The question is, is this a ‘must have’ or ‘good to have’. It is good to have spectators. But it’s not essential, ”Pound told Kyodo.
Despite an increase in coronavirus cases that led to much of Japan currently in a state of emergency, organizers have been adamant that the Olympics can go ahead.
Pound, the longest-serving IOC member, reaffirmed his hope that the Games could be celebrated in some way.
“No one can guarantee (that the Olympics will go according to plan). But I think there is a very, very good chance that they can, and that they will, “he said.
Jack Tarrant Report; Edited by Lincoln Feast.
