Tokyo Olympics preparations to continue, Abe tells Trump

Preparations for the Tokyo Olympics will continue to be on track despite the novel coronavirus outbreak, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday told US President Donald Trump, who suggested the games be postponed. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

Preparations for the Tokyo Olympics will continue to be on track despite the novel coronavirus outbreak, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday told US President Donald Trump, who suggested the games be postponed. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

Published Mar 13, 2020

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TOKYO – Preparations for the Tokyo Olympics will continue to be

on track despite the novel coronavirus outbreak, Japanese Prime

Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday told US President Donald Trump, who

suggested the games be postponed.

During the phone conversation, Abe told Trump about Japan's efforts

towards holding the Olympics, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga

told a news conference.

The two leaders agreed to coordinate closely with each other over the

holding of the events, Suga said.

About 11,000 athletes are expected to participate in the games, which

are set to kick off on July 24. The Paralympics are due to start on

August 25.

"The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo organizers are

not considering the cancellation or the postponement of the Games at

all," Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto also told reporters.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said "I

just can't see having no people there, in other words, not allowing

people. Maybe, and this is just my idea, maybe they postpone it for a

year."

The president's comment came one day after the World Health

Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

The IOC said Thursday it was confident the Tokyo Games could be held

as planned.

The IOC remains "absolutely in line with our Japanese hosts in our

commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July this year."

dpa

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