Prime News Ghana

GOC President backs Tokyo Olympics postponement

By Vincent Ashitey
Ben Nunoo Mensah
Ben Nunoo Mensah
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Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) President, Ben Nunoo Mensah has backed the decision by the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The competition due to begin on 24 July have been postponed to a year because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

READ ALSO: African Triathlon Sprint Cup called off

On Tuesday, March 24, Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, reached an agreement to called off the games.

"We agreed that a postponement would be the best way to ensure that the athletes are in peak condition when they compete and to guarantee the safety of the spectators,” Abe told reporters shortly after his conference call with Bach, adding that the Games would be held by the summer of 2021.

A Reacting to the news, the GOC President welcomed the decision saying in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic it would have been unwise to stage the Olympic Games this year.

“It is good the IOC has reviewed their decision to carry on with the Olympic Games. The IOC was confident the games could come when they met at the Executive meeting two weeks ago considering the time the games will be held. But looking at how things are going it will be unwise to stage the Olympic Games considering the way virus is spreading”.

The GOC President also advised Ghanaian athletes to halt all training programs and remain indoors;

“Athletes should just stay home, there is no need to go out and train”.

“They should please take their time and relax no need to go anywhere”.

“If the games are rescheduled athletes will get more than two months to prepare so they should just stay at home”, he added.

READ ALSO: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games postponed