Tokyo Olympic Official Says Not at Stage to Make Decision: Kyodo

(Bloomberg) -- The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee isn’t yet at the stage where it can make a decision on whether or not to cancel or postpone the Olympics, Kyodo News reported Saturday, citing an interview with Executive Board Vice President Toshiaki Endo.

Endo made the remarks in response to the Norwegian Olympic Committee’s release of a letter urging the International Olympic Committee not to hold the games in Tokyo until the coronavirus outbreak is “under firm control on a global scale,” according to Kyodo.

Kyodo quoted Endo as saying there are no changes to the hosting plan and that the final decision lies with the IOC.

Earlier this month, the organizing committee refuted remarks about a possible postponement from Haruyuki Takahashi, another member of its executive board. Takahashi had told the Wall Street Journal that if the Tokyo Olympics can’t proceed this summer because of the virus, the most realistic choice would be to delay the event by one or two years.

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