Organizer says Tokyo Olympics could be canceled if pandemic stretches through 2021

The organizer of the Tokyo Olympics said in a new interview that the already delayed summer games could be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic prevents them from being held in 2021. 

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori told the Japanese sports daily Nikkan Sports that the “Olympics will be scrapped” if the games cannot be held in July 2021, Reuters reports. 

But Mori, the former prime minister, said he remained confident the rescheduled games will take place and noted how “valuable” they will be after the global battle with the virus. 

“We have delayed the Olympics until next summer after we will have won the battle,” Mori was quoted as saying, according to Reuters. 

“The Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle. We have to believe this otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded,” he said.

The International Olympic Committee last month postponed the games, originally scheduled for July 2020, citing the global coronavirus pandemic and after facing pressure to set a new date, with several teams announcing they would not compete if the games took place as originally scheduled. 

Globally, there are more than 3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases reported and 211,894 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University