Coronavirus: Japan minister hints that Tokyo Olympics 2020 may be postponed

While answering a question in the Japanese parliament, the minister said the contract with IOC called for games to be held within 2020

Sports News: Japan’s Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto on Tuesday hinted that the Tokyo summer games could be postponed due to coronavirus outbreak. While answering a question in Japanese parliament, Hashimoto said Tokyo’s contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “calls for the Games to be held within 2020”. “Looking at the contract once again, it says in Article 66 that the IOC holds the right to cancel the Games by deactivating the contract if… the Games are not held in 2020,” Hashimoto said.

“At this moment, the Tokyo 2020 committee, the IOC and Tokyo (city government) are doing their best to make sure the Games will be held from July 24,” she added. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9. Hashimoto added that May looked like an “important benchmark” for deciding whether the Games go ahead as scheduled. “An IOC member has said the end of May is the final deadline for making the decision,” she said, referring to remarks by senior IOC member Dick Pound. “So I think the end of May is an important benchmark,” Hashimoto added.

“We’re making utmost efforts so that the IOC can be convinced that the Tokyo Games can be held safely.” The Japanese govt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stepped up national measures to contain the virus, urging schools nationwide to close for several weeks and calling on organisers of large events to consider cancelling or delaying them.

Commonwealth Games 2018: Chanu wins gold, Gururaja silver in weightlifting

Weightlifter P Gururaja bagging the silver medal in the men's 56-kilogram category Commonwealth Games. Mirabai Chanu won gold

 

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, the 23-year-old weightlifter from Manipur, on Thursday opened India’s account of gold medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 by winning one in the women’s 48 kg category, with a combined effort of 196 kg.

Breaking her six personal records in six lifts, Chanu not only made the country proud but also rewrote history, raising her own National record by one kg.

The day started with weightlifter P Gururaja bagging the silver medal in the men's 56-kg category.

Saina Nehwal showed total dominance against her Sri Lankan opponent and snatched victory in badminton. And in the men’s game, shuttler Kidambi Srikanth also won his first match. Also, India defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in its first match in women's table tennis.

More than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and territories are vying for 275 gold medals at the multi-sport event. Australia is hosting the Commonwealth Games for a fifth time.

The Indian contingent at the ceremony, consisting of over 200 athletes, is being led by flag-bearer P V Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medallist. The squad also includes double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, and London Olympic bronze medallists Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Gagan Narang.

Indian swimmers Virdhawal Khade and Srihari Nataraj are through to the semi-finals of their respective swimming events.

India defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in their first match in the women's table tennis.

Here is all you need to know

Mirabai Chanu wins Gold for India

Mirabai Chanu smashed the Commonwealth and the Games record in snatch, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80kg, 84kg and 86kg). She then lifted more than double her body weight (103kg, 107kg and 110kg) in three successful attempts to claim the clean and jerk as well as the overall Games record. The showing helped her better the silver she had won in the 2014 Glasgow CWG. The Indian ended with a score of 196kg (86kg+110kg), earning a massive applause from the fans at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.

First silver for India

The 25-year-old Gururaja equalled his personal best of 249kg (111+138) to finish second in a field where Malaysia's three-time Commonwealth Championships medallist Muhammad Izhar Ahmed (117+144) broke the Games record for snatch and overall lift.

Gururaja was third after the snatch, pulling off a best of 111kg after two good lifts before surviving a few nervy moments in clean and jerk. The Indian failed in his first two attempts before managing a good lift off his last chance to zoom to the top half of the table.

All eyes on Saina NehawalSaina Nehwal snatched victory in the mixed-team badminton event against Sri Lanka. Saina beats Sri Lanka’s Madushika by 21-8, 21-4 to bolster India's lead to 4-0 over Sri Lanka. She maintained her dominance throughout the game.

Read more: Commonwealth games 2018