Both Japan and the OIC have considered two different conditions for holding that major sports event, the first one is if the Corona pandemic still prevails until next year the Olympics will be held with certain limitations and certain health protocols will be observed by the host country’s Olympics Committee, and the second one is if the Corona vaccine will be available for everyone and sufficient security level for the athletes will be met the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held at a broader level and quite normal.
Fortunately, most of the Iranian teams and athletes have gained approval for holding their restricted camps while observing the health protocols and they have started their preparation programs. Of course, our athletes, too, like every other country’s athletes have faced a time-lapse for holding their friendly games and their exercises, but almost every Iranian team is now engaged in preparation activities to enable them physically to get in ideal athletics conditions both for the qualification matches and for the Olympics competitions.
The wrestling, volleyball and some other sports teams started their camps last week and the other athletic teams, too, will soon begin their exercises and camps.
We have design special programs for each team according to the High Corona Committee (HCC) policies to make sure our athletes will not get infected with the Coronavirus. The HCC is actively in touch both with the sports minister and with the Iranian National Olympic Committee (INOC) and is monitoring the situation of the sports society keeping in mind the prevailing Coronavirus conditions.
Both the Iranian and the world sports were damaged by the Corona pandemic and the athletic activities have been decreased, but the sports ministry and the INOC keep on acting maximally to pave the appropriate path for the ideal presence of the Iranian athletic teams in Olympics competitions, while our top propriety is their success and health together.
We also definitely in collaboration with the different federations and national teams arrange for substitute athletes so that if some sportsmen and sportswomen will get infected with the Covid-19 we will not face problems. Yet, the problem will arise if an athlete will get infected during the Olympics competitions, which will make decision-making tough.
Surely with the prevailing perspective, we cannot definitely know what the Corona status in Japan and the Olympic Village for the athletes will be at the completion time, but based on our past knowledge about the experience and management of the Japanese sports apparatus we can rest assured about the health conditions of the Olympics Village and the full observation of the health protocols during the event faultlessly. The Iranian athletic sports are all the same under the prevailing conditions of Coronal virus in the world, and therefore what we say today is not for sure and the conditions are dependent on INOC policies in the future.
Any change or decision by the INOC will be implemented and we, too, will convert our conditions and situation accordingly, but the Olympics competitions will be held on scheduled time in Tokyo.
by: Seyyed Reza Salehi, Head of Iran's National Olympics Committee
1424
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