World Athletics president Sebastian Coe on Sunday mentioned the Tokyo Olympics organisers have a "cast-iron dedication" to stage the postponed Video games subsequent yr regardless of the uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.



Coe, who was lately made a member of the Worldwide Olympic Committee, visited Tokyo final month and met a number of top-ranking officers there, together with the organising committee chief Yoshiro Mori and the sports activities and Olympics ministers within the Japanese authorities.

"The long run is unsure however let me offer you a barely extra optimistic message. I lately visited Tokyo and met prime officers there together with ministers within the authorities. There I can see a cast-iron dedication to stage the Video games," Coe mentioned. He was addressing the Annual Common Physique Assembly of the Athletics Federation of India nearly.

"The Video games could also be completely different, there'll most likely be diversifications, they'll most likely demand extra out of your groups that we've got not seen in any Olympic Video games earlier than. "However please reassure your athletes as they enter preparation part that there's a sturdy dedication (amongst officers in Japan) to stage the Olympic Video games." The Tokyo Olympic Video games have been to be held from July 24 to August 9 this yr however was postponed to subsequent summer season as a result of pandemic.

Coe, who was the primary president of any prime worldwide federation to go to the Olympic stadium, mentioned he left Tokyo "comforted" by what he noticed within the Japanese capital. The 64-year-old double Olympic gold medallist in 1500m claimed that no different sport on the worldwide stage has achieved a lot for the athletes and been so energetic with a number of competitions being staged regardless of the worldwide pandemic.

"Our sport has confronted challenges throughout these traumatic months. We now have taken many courageous choices, we've got stored the athletes on the centre of all our efforts, held competitions, labored for sponsorships, for media, tv and social media associated actions.

"No different sport on the international stage has achieved a lot as we had achieved to keep up our presence throughout these tough instances which we've got by no means confronted throughout our profession as athletes or as administrator." He cited as instance the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships final month in Poland the place the ladies's world report was damaged by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir as one of many excessive factors of this yr.

"In addition to the world report in girls's occasion, it was the one world championships the place 10 males recorded underneath 1 hour timings. "There was additionally 10,000m world report (by Joshua Cheptegei), the continental tour occasions, the progressive backyard challenges through iphones, the Inspiration Video games, all these have stored athletics on the forefront of worldwide sport.

"We're additionally studying new issues and we could must take these to subsequent yr however I'm hoping that it (the state of affairs) will not be so unhealthy (subsequent yr)." Coe additionally praised AFI for organising many actions on-line for the advantage of the athletes and officers in India, within the South Asian area and in Asia.

"I've misplaced depend of what number of instances I've joined you on-line. The AFI is doing a implausible job which is holding the athletes within the entrance and centre. Your actions are additionally benefiting others within the South Asian area and past." .

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