Allowing "breastfeeding" female athletes to take their children to the Olympics

Tokyo organizers have announced that they will allow female athletes who are breastfeeding to take their children to the games "when necessary", after criticism of their strict rules that prevent athletes' families from attending the Games.

The families of the athletes participating in the Olympics, scheduled for July 23 to August 8, will not be allowed to attend the event due to the Corona virus pandemic, under health rules that have significantly reduced the number of people allowed into Japan.

But organizers made an exception for female athletes who were breastfeeding "after careful consideration of this unique situation".

However, these children will not be allowed to stay in the Olympic Village and will have to be accommodated in special places such as hotels.

"The idea that so many female athletes with young children are able to continue to compete at the highest levels is inspiring," a statement from the organizers said, stressing that they were "determined to do everything possible to enable them to participate in the Games."

However, American football star Alex Morgan, who has a one-year-old daughter, considered that this was not enough.

The two-time World Cup champion and 2012 London Olympic gold medalist tweeted: "I'm not sure what they mean by when necessary. Does that define the mother or the IOC? We Olympic mothers tell you it's necessary. I wasn't told I could take my daughter with me to Japan and leave in seven days ".

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news