Courtesy-Times of India
The countdown to the Tokyo Olympics has reached its climax. The pressure from another COVID-19 wave is growing, but the hosts, Japan, and especially the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remain steadfast in their determination to move forward.
Following the postponement in 2020, there are only two options this year: play the Games or dismiss them entirely. At least for the time being, the IOC should not be short on the second option.
The message to national Olympic committees is obvious, as stated by the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). “The Olympics are on,” says IOA President Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, who was re-elected as president of the International Hockey Federation for a second term last week.
Batra sat alone in the IOA president’s chair, answering questions about alleged squabbles with Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. When asked to express his thoughts on the reports of alleged friction between him and sports minister Kiren Rijiju during a web-based assembly on the Olympics last week, he stated:
“I was there with the secretary (Rajeev Mehta) from the IOA. I’m not sure who provided this information. I believe the IOA has been made up of a selective leak for the reasons that have been identified as the most important to those involved in the IOA. It could be extremely unlucky that such careless leaks are made, as they are factually incorrect.”