TTOC boss anticipates Olympics delay

THE INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee (IOC) has given themselves four weeks to make a decision on the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 with a possible change in dates but cancellation is not on the agenda as stated by its president Thomas Bach on Sunday.

Responding to decision made by the IOC was TTOC president, Brian Lewis.

“It is important and necessary that president Bach and the IOC Executive Board has now provided a clear line of sight on the way forward. While (Sunday's) statement may not have gone as some may have liked... it provides clarity.”

Lewis added, “As I would have indicated previously both myself and the TTOC had concerns about the impact of covid19 and maintaining the 24th July timeline, as we believed an October 2020 reschedule is practical and responsible.

"This statement indicates that the IOC is looking at the scenarios in respect of different date options and they have made it clear that cancellation is not an option. It also shared an insight as to the difficulty and complex discussions with the many stakeholders that the IOC must undertake.”

Lewis mentioned that Bach held a teleconference among all the international federations and national Olympic committees on March 17 which was to report that the IOC`s board is placing great reliance on World Health Organisation guidance.

Lewis, who is also the president of CANOC (Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees), said, “We appreciate the IOC's effort to be as open and transparent in sharing a bit more details on what is going on behind the scene. We can deduce from the statement that the odds are the games will be postponed from 24th July and what will be announced in four weeks is the new proposed dates.

"This takes away the uncertainty that had created significant anxiety, frustration and immense pressure," he added. "The hard decision of a new date is now the IOC's challenge, a postponement from 24th July is in the best interest of every athlete not just Team TTO.”

He concluded, “The IOC is between a rock and a hard place with this covid19 pandemic. We cannot downplay the public health risks and unknown variables surrounding the pandemic. No one has a blueprint, the world is learning as it goes along.

"It is the biggest crisis since the Second World War, it is devastating economies and public health systems and disruption social life as we know it.”