Athletes' Commission welcomes postponement of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The World Athletics Athletes' Commission on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Japanese government and the IOC to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021.

The Athletes' Commission has further recommended athletes to stay at home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and follow the government's guidelines.

"At this time, we ask athletes to follow the recommendations of their governments and health authorities by staying home and practicing social distancing to safeguard the health of those around them. Together we can be part of the solution, and when the time comes, be the beacons of inspiration through athletics that our world will need," the Athletes' Commission said in a statement.

The Commission is working with World Athletics to explore the possibility of providing athletes with competition opportunities this year, provided that it is safe to do so.

Additionally, they expect to be part of the review process of the current Olympic qualification system and will ensure that athletes' concerns are taken into consideration before any amendments to that system are implemented.

On Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the mega global event, the Olympics were postponed by a year. The decision was confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the organising body for the event and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to reschedule the Tokyo Olympics in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IOC has, however, said that the original name of Tokyo 2020 will remain intact irrespective of the fact that it will take place next year.

The Tokyo Olympic Games were slated to be held from July 24 to August 9, while the Paralympic Games were scheduled to be held from August 25 to September 6.