The vice president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizing committee, Toshiaki Endo, said Saturday the committee is not in the position to decide whether to postpone or cancel the event.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the one making the final decision. We will firmly continue our efforts to host the event in July,” Endo told Kyodo news.
Endo’s statement came after Norway’s Olympic committee requested that Tokyo 2020 Olympics be postponed until the coronavirus spread is contained.
Norway’s call followed similar moves from Colombia and Slovenia on Friday.
The U.S. governing body of competitive swimming has also called for the Tokyo Summer Olympics to be postponed for one year.
Athletes and sport officials from around the world have urged the International Olympic Committee, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and the Japanese government to postpone the Games.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are scheduled to run from July 24 to August 9, followed by the Paralympics from August 25 to September 6.
Meanwhile, despite the concerns over the coronavirus spread, hundreds of spectators attended the Olympic torch event as the flame arrived from Greece on Friday at Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Matsushima base in northern Japan.
The traditional relay, scheduled to start in Fukushima on March 26, will pass many famous Japanese landmarks, including Mount Fuji, Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Kumamoto Castle, before entering the Olympic stadium July 24.
