Tokyo Olympics 2020 Postponed for a Year due to Coronavirus Outbreak

The Prime Minister of Japan and the International Olympic Association (IOC) on Tuesday agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for a year. The decision has been taken because of countries around the world battling the coronavirus and this is the first time in the 124-year history of the Olympics that the Olympic Games have had to be postponed.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said, "I decided to postpone the Olympics for a year in a telephonic conversation on Tuesday in front of IOC President Thomas Bach, which he fully accepted."

The decision could be a major setback for the city of Tokyo as the organizers completed their preparations ahead of schedule. The stadium was also beautifully decorated and tickets started selling. The Olympics have been witness to boycotts, terrorist attacks, and demonstrations, but since 1948 it has been occurring every four years. All the games in the whole world are closed due to the virus. However, it is not yet decided at what time they will be held next year.

The IOC had been under pressure to postpone the Olympic Games for the past few days. Countries participating in this game, starting on 24 July, were fighting a battle with Corona. Training became impossible for many athletes and they had the only option of being locked down at home. Tournaments and qualifiers were canceled, while travel around the world has also stopped at this time.