Tokyo Olympics 2021 may be held without spectators

Tokyo:The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is committed to holding the Tokyo Olympics this year, but games may be held without spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic, IOC member Dick Pound told Kyodo in an interview, published on Thursday.

"I think the IOC and the organizers are committed to going ahead with the games, if at all possible. And so they're not going to cancel unless there's a consensus among the government, health authorities and the IOC that it would be too dangerous," Pound said, adding that there is "no reason why the games can’t go on" at the moment.

At the same time, the IOC veteran member told Kyodo that there is a possibility that the Olympics may be held without fans."The question is, is this a 'must-have' or 'nice-to-have.' It's nice to have spectators. But it's not a must-have," Pound said.

Moreover, the IOC member said that the torch relay, scheduled to start in March, maybe be shortened or canceled due to the global health crisis.The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were scheduled to be held last summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the International Olympic Committee to postpone it for a year. A new date for the start of the Tokyo Olympics has been set for July 23, 2021.SPUTNIK