Will the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Be Cancelled or Postponed?

The 2020 Tokoy Olympics are just six months away on July 24th, 2020. There is a growing concern to cancel the even due to the coronavirus. The Olympics have only been postponed due to war. Similar situations have occurred in recent memory. None of them led to a cancellation of the Olympics. However, the landscape for this year’s event is surrounded in uncertainty.

The coronavirus has infected 64,000 people globally and is responsible for the deaths of 1,400 people from China. There are currently cases in 23 countries. The most well-known situation is in China with over 30,000 people infected by the virus. Tourist from China have been diagnosed with the virus in other countries such as Japan and the United States, you can also check out bettingsider24.com and try your luck in the 2020 Olympics.

World Health Organization’s Advice

The WHO believes the coronavirus will not be a concern for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They think the event will be safe for all participants, attendees, and countries. This judgement is only for the current status of the event. There currently is not an outbreak in Japan. The WHO may change their opinions if an outbreak would occur in Japan.

The History of Viruses and the Olympics

As stated, the Olympics have only been postponed due to war. There have been similar threats of viruses in the past. There were considerations to cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games because of the  Zika virus outbreak. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 faced similar considerations to cancel the event because of a pandemic of the flu. Both events continued on schedule, and countries did not experience problems from either outbreak.

How Players Can Be Affected

Furthermore, players in contact sports have the highest risk of catching the coronavirus. It spreads through contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets. Basketball, boxing, soccer, and judo have higher risk of spreading the virus due to contact than other sports. Players must contact each other to play these games to the best of their ability. It would not be surprising to hear news of athletes in these sports not attending the event.

Financial Influence

Money is a major player in large businesses and organizations. The same rule applies to sports. According to the Business Insider,  nearly 73% of the International Olympic Committee’s $5.7 billion revenue in a four-year Olympic cycle comes from broadcasting rights from networks like NBC and NHK in Japan. That is a considerable about of money to forfeit if the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be canceled. International Olympic Committee may feel pressure to continue the games despite the risk.

People’s lives are more important than money. It is not worth the risk to lose any lives. There is always the risk of athletes becoming infected by the coronavirus. We do not know if the outbreak will end before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Players’ safety and health should be the first priority over financial gain.

The Option to Relocate

There currently is not a plan B if the coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Olympic officials are moving ahead, despite the possibility of the outbreak spreading to Japan. They are taking a huge risk without any proper planning for a plan B. It would be wise for the Olympic officials to have a backup plan. They can could quickly act on it if necessary.

We cannot predict the future of the coronavirus quickly spreading in Japan in six months. There is always the option to relocate the 2020 Olympics if the situation becomes a health risk. A relocation occurred in the 2003 Women’s World Cup. A lethal outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China posed a major health risk. The 2003 Women’s World Cup was relocated from China to the United States.

Japan’s Best Course of Action

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics should remain on schedule at this time. The WHO said the event would be safe for athletes and viewers to attend. Cancellation or relocation should not be considered at this time. Olympic officials should continue to monitor the situation, and only make changes in the case of Japan having a serious outbreak. Then, there should only be serious action to cancel or relocate the Olympics.