Trump suggests postponing Tokyo Olympics for another year amid coronavirus dread

Amid the unprecedented outbreak of deadly coronavirus, United States President Donald Trump has suggested an 'idea' that Tokyo Olympics 2020 should be postponed for a year. While expressing his opinions on the arrangement of the event on March 13, Trump said that the event, which is scheduled to begin on July 24, should be delayed because he would “like that better than having empty stadiums all over the place”. However, according to reports, the US President has also said that he does not plan on making the recommendation to the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

The US President said, “It is very possible for the Olympics maybe, I just can not see having no people there, in other words, not allowing people. Maybe and this is just my idea, maybe they postpone it for a year.”

Trump's statements came amid the heightened concerns of the pandemic spreading throughout the globe leading to the first cancellation of an Olympic Games since World War II. Meanwhile, as the death toll of the fatal virus has now reached 4,983, after being discovered in late December, major sports including NBA basketball, European football and even Japan's sumo have either been cancelled or restricted the spectators to watch the players. 

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Japan brushes off Trump's suggestions

According to international reports, the Japanese government has brushed off Trump's suggestion to delay the event and have said that it will be conducted as planned. Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto and Japan's top government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said on March 13 just a few hours after the US President made his suggestion that there were no changes to the plan to stage the event starting at July 24 even as the confirmed cases of coronavirus have now reached 134,769.

Suga even said that Donald Trump had spoken to Shinzo Abe for 50 minutes about the Tokyo Olympics, coronavirus, and the economy on March 13. Moreover, Suga reportedly also said that the US President had not brought up his idea of postponing the event. Trump had also applauded the venue of the event and applauded the Japanese Prime Minister for an “incredible job”. 

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(With ANI inputs)