Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.
Abe pledged on Saturday that Japan would host the games as planned in July and said he had no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak, which has seen more than 140,000 people infected across the globe and over 5,400 killed.
His comments came two days after US President Donald Trump suggested the Japanese capital postpone the Games for a year as the spread of the virus wreaks havoc on the sporting calendar.
Organisers, Japanese government officials and the IOC have insisted preparations are on track and there will be no postponement or cancellation.
England’s football Premier League, NBA basketball season in the US and the Augusta Masters golf major are just some of the competitions swept aside by the pandemic.
On Friday, Abe and Trump spoke on the phone about the outbreak and Olympics after Trump proposed a delay.
