The WHO on Friday said it was not advising the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on whether the Tokyo Olympics should go ahead this year amid the COVID-19 outbreak in China.
However, WHO Health Emergencies Programme executive director Michael Ryan said the UN agency could offer technical advice on how to handle possible risks around the event.
“We have not offered advice to the IOC for the Olympics one way or the other, and neither would we. It’s not the role of WHO to call off or not call off any event,” Ryan said at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. “It’s the decision of hosting countries and the organizing agencies to make that decision.”
Photo: AFP
The head of the IOC coordination commission earlier on Friday said that there was no danger of Tokyo 2020 being canceled or moved.
“The advice we have received from the World Health Organization is that there is no case for a contingency plan to cancel or move the Games,” John Coates told reporters after a project review meeting.
Ryan said that the WHO regularly offered technical advice to countries hosting all kinds of mass gatherings, such as sporting events or religious festivals.
“At this stage, there has been no specific discussion or no specific decision made regarding any of those mass events in the coming months, but we stand ready to offer both member states hosting events and organizations organizing events to offer them the best mechanism and risk assessment approaches that we have,” he said.
The COVID-19 outbreak has killed nearly 1,400 people and infected about 64,000 people — most of them in China.
Two dozen countries, including Japan, have confirmed cases of the disease.
In Japan, actress Satomi Ishihara yesterday performed the first “torch kiss” handover of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay during a rehearsal on the outskirts of the capital.
Ishihara’s handover in Hamura City formed part of a dress rehearsal for Tokyo 2020 organizers, who mimicked three legs of the relay that is to last for 121 days in the build up to the Olympics.
Hundreds of people lined the streets of Hamura to watch the event, which was complete with sponsorship floats and a heavy security presence as organizers looked to iron out any issues.
“There are many purposes of the rehearsal,” Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya told reporters. “Today’s rehearsal is focused on the entire operation. This will be the first and last time we do it.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
RSS