Youth and Sports Development Minister, Mr, Sunday Dare, has commended the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Dare “The IOC must be commended for postponing the Olympics in the best interest of the whole world. This is in response to the general calls across the globe to have Tokyo 2020 moved to a time when the virus would have abated.
“As much as we were all looking up to the games, the safety and well being of the athletes, officials and fans alike is of paramount importance. We cannot afford to toy with the lives of millions of people around the world. At a time like this, this is the best way to go,” observed the minister.
Dare affirmed that the IOC cannot stand alone and it had taken the decision in the overall best interest of safety of all Olympic families.
“This decision is an attestation of the fact that the IOC is sensitive and puts premium on the safety of people. This would douse any fear or tension about going against the general consensus which clamoured for a shift in date. We believe that once the pandemic is over, the world can come together in unity to celebrate sports biggest fiesta,” concludes the minister.
Similarly, the leadership of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has commended IOC’s decision to postpone the summer games in Tokyo.
In a statement issued by the NBBF President, Musa Kida, he commended the IOC for taking such a bold but difficult decision to postpone an iconic event for the good and safety of the world.
According to him, this is one of the major decisions taken across the globe necessary for tackling the pandemic that has continued to threaten human existence.
“Postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the right step taken at such a critical time because as the saying goes, nothing is worth human life. We know this decision will come at an additional cost to sponsors, vendors, the government of Japan, participating countries and their athletes, but it is a necessary step.”
Kida said if we have to protect the human existence as it is currently known, there is need for governments around the world to come around, unite and fight the pandemic which till now has no known cure.
“It is crucial for basketball players in Nigeria and abroad to know the importance of social distancing and self-quarantine as being promoted by the World Health Organisation and medical personnel as a key step in breaking the chain of the viral infection,”observed the NBBF chief.
Nigeria’s men and women’s senior basketball teams have qualified for the 2020 Olympics earlier scheduled for the iconic city of Tokyo between Friday, July 24 and Saturday, August 9, 2020.
