International Olympic Committee ND JAPAN AGREE TO POSTPONE 2020 GAMES

Just 4 days after the Olympic Flame arrived in Japan, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese Prime Minister have agreed that, in light of the Corona Virus Health Crisis currently sweeping the globe, the 2020 Summer Games to be held in Japan have been postponed until a later date. They agreed that the games will be held no later then the summer of 2021 but no dates have been finalized as of yet. In a written statement released this morning, the IOC said:

"In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."

The 2020 Summer Games were originally scheduled to be held July 26th through August 11th.