Japan's new Prime Minister says he's determined for next year's Olympic Games to go ahead "as proof that humanity has defeated the pandemic".
Yoshihide Suga has told the UN General Assembly he'll "spare no effort" to put on a "safe and secure" event.
“In the summer of next year, Japan is determined to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as proof that humanity has defeated the pandemic. I will continue to spare no effort in order to welcome you to Games that are safe and secure.
International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates has reaffirmed their determination for the Games to proceed as planned next summer.
“Before Covid, (IOC president) Thomas Bach said this is the best prepared Games we’ve ever seen, the venues were almost all finished, they are now finished, the village is amazing, all the transport arrangements, everything is fine,” he said.
“Now it’s been postponed by one year, that’s presented a monumental task in terms of re-securing all the venues… something like 43 hotels we had to get out of those contracts and re-negotiate for a year later.
“Their job now is to look at all the different counter-measures that will be required for the Games to take place.
“Some countries will have COVID under control, some won’t. We’ll have athletes therefore coming from places where it’s under control and some, where it is not.
“There’s 206 teams… so there’s a massive task being undertaken on the Japanese side.”
