Tokyo Olympics: Athletes should travel with confidence, says IOC chief Bach

Tokyo): International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is confident that the organising committee of Tokyo 2020 will be able to stage a safe and secure showpiece event for the athletes.

Bach addressed the 10th International Athletes' Forum (IAF) to confirm that the preparations and delivery of a safe Tokyo 2020 Games this summer are in their final stages. "Because of the pandemic we all know the athletes' experience will be very different but what is important is the competitions - these are the essentials - can and will take place in a safe way and in full respect," said Bach in a statement as quoted by olympics.com

Bach said "Tokyo is the best prepared Olympic city ever," stressing that "it's about making the athletes feel comfortable and making the Japanese people feel comfortable," ahead of the megaevent.

"The president of the organising committee is a seven-time Olympian. So this should give all of us a lot of confidence that it's really about the athletes and about making the athletes feel comfortable," he said.

"And also making the Japanese people feel comfortable and there again this high vaccination rate is an important factor on top of all the measures and restrictions that we will respect as we have them in the Playbooks," Bach added.

Earlier, Bach had confirmed that as many as 75 per cent of the residents of the Olympic Village are already vaccinated or have secured vaccination; and that there is good reason to believe that this figure will be well over 80 per cent at the time of the Games.

"Take the opportunity whenever it arises to take the vaccine because this will increase the safety there for everybody, for yourself, for all your fellow athletes, and for the Japanese people," said Bach.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23-August 8 this year after getting postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19.