Holding 'Autumn Olympics' isn’t that bad an idea for Japan

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to kick off on July 24 and wrap up on Aug. 9.
Unfortunately, as Covid-19 continues to spread, with the number of confirmed infections around the world surpassing 100,000, the Japanese government is now facing a difficult decision over whether to postpone or even cancel the games.
According to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, the words “cancellation” and “postponement” were not even mentioned with regard to the Tokyo Olympics at the IOC board meeting on Wednesday last week.
However, as the coronavirus outbreak is worsening, it has become uncertain whether or not the games can go ahead as planned.
Earlier on, Seiko Hashimoto, Japan's Olympics minister, told members of the Sangiin (House of Councillors) that according to the agreement made between the government and the IOC, the Tokyo Olympics have to be held within this year.
Hashimoto’s remarks have been widely interpreted to mean that postponing the games to a period before the year-end is now an option for the Japanese government.
While we believe it would be a bit too pessimistic to cancel the Tokyo Olympics at this point, it would also be too optimistic to believe that it can go ahead as scheduled.
As July is just four months away, nobody can tell how the epidemic is likely to play out in the coming days, and therefore it is pretty remote that the Tokyo Olympics can take place according to the original timetable.
Besides, even if both China and Japan can miraculously achieve zero infection by July, who can guarantee that Covid-19 will also be successfully contained in other countries by then?
Our suggestion, therefore, is this: Why not decisively announce its postponement until later in the year as soon as possible in order to avoid throwing athletes and spectators around the world off guard?
In fact, changing the “Summer Olympics” into “Autumn Olympics” isn’t too bad an idea amid the global health crisis.
This article appeared in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 6
Translation by Alan Lee
– Contact us at [email protected]
RT/CG
-
Green buildings cool down the city Dr. Winnie Tang
According to a new update issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently, global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years, fuelled by heat-trapping
-
Heat in May but can’t get away Ben Kwok
Nothing we can do to stop the early heat wave that hits Hong Kong and China. Except of course you turn on the air-conditioner 24 hours a day, or go to another country. I chose the latter. Here I am
-
One day, two mountains in Hong Kong Ben Kwok
Heavy rain poured again this morning in Guangdong and I was stuck at a building near the East station to catch the first high-speed train back to Hong Kong. A security guard approached this puzzled
-
Not a Happy Valley! Ben Kwok
Bad news does not come singly in Happy Valley! Days after Hong Kong Jockey Club suspended the two jockeys Vagner Borges and Silvestre de Sousa for their betting offences, more shocking news came from
-
Crowdsourced maps can enhance city’s efficiency and flexibility Dr. Winnie Tang
Although Britain's global influence has dwindled, its soft power should not be underestimated. The coronation of King Charles III is the latest showcase of its great marketing which, as The Economist