Paris (AFP)
The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said Sunday reluctant to send athletes to Japan for the Olympics in the midst of a pandemic of new coronavirus, after calls from several sports institutions to postpone the Games.
"Do I intend to request the suspension of the Olympic Games as Minister of Health? No. Do I see myself sending athletes to Japan today or asking them to prepare in good conditions? answer is no, "said Olivier Véran to the RTL-LCI-Le Figaro Grand Jury.
More and more sports institutions and personalities have called in recent days to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which are due to start on July 24. Without success for the moment.
On Saturday, the powerful American athletics federation launched an appeal in this direction, to "put the health and safety of everyone above all", following in the footsteps of the swimming association which had requested a postponement the day before.
In Europe, the Norwegian Olympic Committee, the Spanish Athletics Federation or the French swimming and athletics federations have also called for a postponement.
For the International Olympic Committee (IOC), "it would not be responsible today and it would be premature to leave in speculation and make a decision", said its president Thomas Bach in an interview published Thursday by the New York Times .
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