Tokyo Organizers Not to Stick "Stupidly" to Initial Olympic Plan

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee will not stick stupidly to the schedule for holding the Tokyo Games this summer, given the global coronavirus spread, its president, Yoshiro Mori, said Monday. "The situation around the world is evolving rapidly," Mori told a press conference. "I want to say we're not stupid enough to claim that (the Tokyo Olympics) must be held as initially scheduled." Mori said he and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed in overnight talks that both sides will discuss options for the Tokyo Games, excluding cancellation. "Cancellation is not an option," Mori said. Meanwhile, Toshiro Muto, director-general of the organizing committee, said "there's been no change" to the schedule for starting the Olympic torch relay in Japan on Thursday. At an extraordinary executive meeting by phone on Sunday, the IOC decided to consider postponing the Tokyo Olympics and to reach a conclusion within four weeks after consulting with concerned parties including the organizing committee and Tokyo metropolitan government. In modern Olympic history, there have been cancellations of the quadrennial sports event, due to world wars, but no postponements. END