Is Tokyo Olympics happening or isn’t it, questions Federer

Ace tennis star and World No. 8 Roger Federer on Saturday said that athletes around the globe were waiting for the Tokyo Olympic Games organisers to decide whether the showpiece event “will go ahead or not” due to the surge in Covid-19 pandemic globally.

Notably,  the Olympics are scheduled to be held between July 23 and August 8 in Japan but protests have grown in the recent days asking for the postponement of the games.

“The athletes need a decision: is it happening or isn’t it?” asked Federer.

“It’s [the Olympics] difficult. Honestly I don’t know what to think. I would love to play in the Olympics, win a medal for Switzerland…that would make me so proud. But if that doesn’t happen due to the situation, I would be the first to understand,” Federer told Switzerland’s Leman Bleu television.

He further said that nothing was clear as of now.

“We’re not hearing much. That makes me think the Games will happen, even if I’ve heard that lots of people in Tokyo are against the Games. But I think what the athletes need is a decision: is it happening or isn’t it?” he said.

“At the moment, we have the impression that it will. We know it’s a fluid situation. And also you can also decide as an athlete if you want to go. If you feel there’s a lot of resistance, maybe it’s better not to go. I don’t know.”

Earlier, ace Japanese tennis players — Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori — had also said that the risks of holding the Olympics at a time when the pandemic is on a rise should be discussed.

News Desk

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