The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games could be postponed until the end of the year due to coronavirus fears – as some bookies now have the event odds-on to be cancelled entirely.
Japan’s Tokyo Olympics minister Heiko Hashimoto has revealed organisers are doing everything in their power to have the Games go ahead as planned.
But with the deadly coronavirus continuing to spread they may be forced to push it back a few months.
Also Read: Akpeyi Has ‘Unbelievable Character’- Kaizer Chief Boss Middendorp
The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020,” Hashimoto said.
“That could be interpreted as allowing a postponement.
“We are doing all we can to ensure that the Games go ahead as planned.”
Despite that, Betfair have released their latest odds, with the Olympics 8/11 to be cancelled entirely.
The update comes just days after International Olympic Committee chief Dick Pound said it was more likely the Games are cancelled than postponed.
Pound claimed: “You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics.
“There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons.
“You can’t just say, `We’ll do it in October.’ You’re probably looking at a cancellation.”
He went on to say that moving the Games to another part of the world was not a viable option either, with Japan having officially spent £10BILLION on the spectacle.
A national audit suggested that figure could in fact be twice that.
On relocating the Games, Pound admitted: “There are few places in the world that could think of gearing up facilities in that short time to put something on.”
Despite that, Pound insisted athletes should keep training as normal – as, for now at least, the Games will go ahead.
He continued: “As far as we all know, you’re going to be in Tokyo. All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual.
“So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.”
In 2016, for the previous Olympics, there was speculation the Rio de Janeiro Games would be cancelled , due to an outbreak of Zika.
Despite the fears, those Olympics did go ahead.
But this year, a host of sporting events, including football in Italy, cycling, rugby and Formula One have all been affected by the latest viral outbreak.
Despite that, health secretary Matt Hancock revealed there are currently no plans to cancel Premier League matches, but admitted they are monitoring the situation.
