GOC pres supports Olympic Games postponement

Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has backed the decision to postponement the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; following the wide spread coronavirus across the globe.

With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set to make a firm decision within the next four weeks on whether the games should be staged later in the year or postponed to next year, some countries including Canada and Australia have already pulled out of it.

According to Mr. Mensah, it was unreasonable to stage the Games if the spread of the Coronavirus worsens worldwide and would be catastrophic if the games should be held.

“If conditions are as it is now and still peaking in Europe and across the world then I don’t think it would be advisable or responsible for anybody to say the games should be staged. So, I support the decision; it is in the interest of all.

“It can be staged any time after October or maybe next year if the virus has been contained across the globe. We should be able to get hold of the situation before we start thinking of putting athletes together.

“We have advised athletes who have qualified to stay home and not engage in any kind of training and we have also entreated athletes who have not yet qualified not to train as they would have ample time to train for future qualifiers,” Mr. Mensah told GNA Sports.

The event postponed was announced on Tuesday after the Japanese Prime Minister proposed a one-year postponement. –GNA