Coronavirus: Tokyo 2020 deputy, NBA’s Kevin Durant test positive for Covid-19
- Announcement came after opinion poll showed public did not think Olympics could go ahead as planned
- Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant comes forward as having tested positive for Covid-19, while Juventus see another case
A high ranking Tokyo 2020 organising committee member was among a number of sports figures to test positive for the coronavirus, throwing the future of the summer’s Olympic Games into fresh doubt.
Deputy head of the executive committee Kozo Tashima announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19.
The 62-year-old said his test result was confirmed on Tuesday and he had travelled to Europe and the United States.
Kashima, who is also the head of the Japanese Football Association, was in the UK, the Netherlands and the US from late February to early March.
The news has brought further scrutiny on the hopes of staging the Olympic Games as planned this summer, which are set to start in the Japanese capital on July 24.
This came after an opinion poll published by Japan’s Kyodo News on Monday said 70 per cent of respondents thought the Olympics could not go ahead as planned.
Cancel, delay, modify? Tokyo 2020 is battling the odds
In the NBA, four Brooklyn Nets players including Kevin Durant were confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19.
The team did not name the players but Durant came forward. He has not played since the Nets met the Golden State Warriors on March 10.
Durant told The Athletic that he was feeling fine. “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this,” he said.
“The organisation is currently notifying anyone who has had known contact with the players, including recent opponents, and is working closely with state and local health authorities on reporting,” the Nets said in a statement.
The NBA shut down last week after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert became the first player to test positive. His teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit’s Christian Wood were the only other NBA players who had tested positive before the Nets announcement.
In European football, which has since shut down indefinitely following a Uefa videoconference on Tuesday, several more players have tested positive.
Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi is the latest, the France international joined teammate Daniel Rugani, who tested positive last week.
“[Matuidi] has been in voluntary home isolation. He is well and is asymptomatic,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday. Players at Sampdoria and Fiorentina have also tested positive in Serie A, while Spain’s La Liga has seen an increase of cases in players and staff.
Espanyol and Valencia have both reported a number of positive tests.
Clubs around Europe are dealing with the spread of the virus and not being able to play football in their own way. Manchester United have asked players to train from home.
