For the first time in the history of the mega global event, the Olympics has been postponed by a year. The decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Games by one year was confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the organising body for the event and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . The Olympics were cancelled in the past but were never postponed.
In 1916, 1940 and 1944, the Games were cancelled because of the World Wars. The Tokyo Olympics will now take place next year.
The IOC has, however, said that the original name of Tokyo 2020 will remain intact irrespective of the fact that it will take place next year.
“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 IOC said in an official statement.
The Tokyo Olympic Games were slated to be held from July 24 to August 9, while the Paralympic Games were scheduled to be held from August 25 to September 6.
