IOC member Pound's statement on Olympics not official: IOA

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The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has stated that no decision regarding the postponement of Tokyo Games, slated to start from July 24, has been made as of now by the International Olympic Association (IOC) and it will be done only in four weeks time.

"We have not received any official document from IOC (regarding postponement of Games)," IOA General Secretary Rajeev Mehta told IANS. "The official stand of IOC as of now is that they will make a decision on the Olympic Games in four weeks," he added.

This response from IOA came after IOC member Dick Pound stated that the 2020 Summer Games will be postponed by one year because of coronavirus.

"I do not consider Dick Pound's statement official," Mehta added.

In an interview to USA today, Pound said: "On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided."

"The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on 24 July, that much I know."

"It will come in stages. We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense," he added.

On Monday, Mehta had said that the IOA will wait for at least a month before taking any decision regarding sending athletes to Tokyo for the Olympic Games.

"We have to wait for a month and then we can make a decision in consultation with the IOC and our sports ministry as well," he added.

Chairman of the British Olympic Association has said Great Britain would be unlikely to send a team to Tokyo this summer while Australia and Canada have already said they will not compete in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic.