Tokyo Olympics chief rules out delay despite opposition and rising coronavirus cases

‘We cannot postpone again,’ Seiko Hashimoto says as organisers reveal 10,000 volunteers had quit over Covid-19 fears

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to call a snap election after the Games

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Tokyo Olympics organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto. Photo: AP

Published: 8:55am, 3 Jun 2021Updated: 9:30pm, 3 Jun 2021

The president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee ruled out a cancellation or further postponement of the Olympics as doubts swirled among host cities and medical professionals whether the event can be held safely amid the pandemic.

Public opinion polls in Japan have consistently shown that a majority want the Games cancelled or put off yet again after being delayed by one year because of the coronavirus crisis. A majority of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly feel the same way, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday.

“We cannot postpone again,” athlete-turned-politician and organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto said an interview published on Thursday by the Nikkan Sports newspaper.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to call a snap election after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Asahi newspaper reported, showing his resolve to push ahead with the event.

Late on Wednesday, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said around 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers had quit, largely over coronavirus concerns.

Others dropped out after the Games were postponed, or in protest at sexist remarks made by Hashimoto’s predecessor who was forced to resign, Muto told Japanese media.

Former Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori stepped down in February after causing a furore by saying that women talk too much and waste time in meetings.

However, Muto said the reduction in volunteers would not affect the Games because the event has been scaled back, so fewer people are needed.