Tokyo Olympics to Start in July 2021

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) on Monday confirmed that the Tokyo Olympic Games would start on 23 July 2021 and run to 8 August after being postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board met on Monday to make the decision.

The name of the Olympics will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021.

The Paralympic Games were previously scheduled to start on 25 August 2020, will now take place between 24 August and 5 September 2021.

” I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government, and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge,” IOC president Thomas Bach said according to BBC.

“Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel,” he added.

The decision to postpone both events was taken to protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved and to support fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

On his part, International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said: “When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport.

“With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games 512 days away, the priority for all those involved in the Paralympic movement must be to focus on staying safe with their friends and family during this unprecedented and difficult time,” he added.