IOC agree to one-year postponement of Games, says Japan PM Abe

IOC agree to one-year postponement of Games, says Japan PM Abe

The IOC agree to a one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because of the threat of coronavirus, says Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 24, 2020) (JAPAN POOL - NO USE JAPAN) 1.

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE WALKING OUT TO ADDRESS REPORTERS 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE SAYING: "First of all, once again I confirmed with IOC's President Bach, that there will be no cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics or Paralympics.

Furthermore, as the host of the Tokyo Olympics, taking into consideration the current situation -- for the athletes, the athletes of the world -- for them to be able to compete in the best environment and also for the Games to be one which is safe and worry-free for spectators, I asked if it would be possible to consider postponing the Games for approximately a year." 3.

WHITE FLASH 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE SAYING: "I got an answer from President Bach that he agreed 100 percent.

We agreed that we would hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by the summer of 2021." 5.

WHITE FLASH 6.

(SOUNDBITE)(Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE SAYING: "We agreed that we would stay in close contact so that we would be able to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in its complete form so that it will be a sign that (humanity) has overcome the new coronavirus." 7.

ABE LEAVING/REPORTERS STANDING STORY: Japan will hold the Summer Olympics Games by the summer of 2021 at latest, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday (March 24) after holding a telephone meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) head Thomas Bach.

"I confirmed with IOC's President Bach, that there will be no cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics or Paralympics... and I asked if it would be possible to consider postponing the Games for approximately a year," Abe told reporters.

"I got an answer from President Bach that he agreed 100 percent.

We agreed that we would hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by the summer of 2021," Abe said.

There was no immediate word from the IOC, though its executives were due to meet later on Tuesday.

Pressure on the IOC and its president Bach had been accelerating fast in recent days, with Canada and Australia refusing to participate if the Games went ahead in the summer.

(Production: Masako Iijima)