IOC president Thomas Bach
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and rapid testing may not be the solution to hosting the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but will be of great help in organising the mega sporting spectacle.
Earlier this year the IOC and Tokyo organising committee were forced to postpone the 2020 Olympics by a year, hoping a year time will be enough to curb the impact of the contagion. However local media has often reported experts and Japanese people’s doubt over hosting the Games in July-August 2021.
"They will not be the silver bullet but they can greatly facilitate the organisation of the games," Bach said when asked about vaccines at a news conference after an IOC Board meeting.
"We don't know how the world looks like tomorrow," Bach said. "So, how can you expect from us to know how the world looks in 320 days from today?"
While various sports around the world have managed to host competitions in a bio-secure bubble, Bach stressed that athletes will have to be co-operative and adhere to all the safety guidelines to be in place for the Olympics.
"Nobody can just look at him(self) or herself and say ‘I do not want this' or ‘I don't think this is fair'. You have to show solidarity there in order to fight the virus," Bach said. "If you need a quarantine to ensure a safe environment for all the participants of the games, then you need to go to quarantine."
