Olympics are on track, Tokyo Games-bound athletes on priority for Covid vaccine: Rijiju

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Monday urged people to avoid falling prey to rumours and clarified that he is confident that the Olympics will be held in Tokyo this year. To recall, there have been many requests raised by the Republicans in the US and India, to change the venue for conducting the international sports event. Tokyo Olympics are set to take place from July 23 to August 8. While the games were earlier scheduled for 2020, the pandemic outbreak postponed the Olympics. 

'Tokyo-Olympics bound athletes on priority for Covid vaccine'

He said that athletes who are participating in the Tokyo-Olympics this year will be given priority for the coronavirus vaccine. "We will take care of our elite athletes thereafter all the junior athletes will be taken care of. But the focus is on Tokyo-Olympics bound athletes and their safety is of utmost importance," he said adding "If a player contracts Covid-19, their chances of competing in Olympics might spoil as they have to then follow the quarantine protocols and take medication. Their dream to be in the Olympics is over. Hence athletes' welfare is our priority," he explained.

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He then also referred to the women's walkathon that is organised for International Women's Day and said "All our sisters and youth volunteers are participating in the International Women's Day walkathon organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Secretary Youth Affairs Usha Sharma will lead the walkathon. When the Olympics is considered, Indian women have performed exceedingly well and we are providing them an equal platform," he added.

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Requests over the change of venue for Olympics

He further said, "When women perform, it feels much better because we want the women of this country to excel." Meanwhile, it must be noted that it was Rijiju who earlier this month had pitched for hosting the Summer Olympics in India, in the future. He had said "India hasn't claimed its rightful place in sports. The Olympics is the biggest event in sports. London has hosted three Olympics, Tokyo has already hosted an Olympics in 1964 before the one scheduled for this year."

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Moreover, Republicans in the US had last month demanded the Biden administration to change the venue for the Olympics. They had pointed out that the Olympics must not be hosted in China's Beijing, given the human rights violations China has committed against the minority group Uyghurs. However, the Olympics was last hosted in Beijing in 2008. Since then, the venue for the international event has been Tokyo in Japan.

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