KUALA LUMPUR – Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee chief executive Toshiro Muto denied claims that 10 countries including Malaysia will be barred from next month’s Olympics due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Muto said the possibility to deny entry was not even considered, but contingents from several countries are required to be fully vaccinated before arriving in Japan for the Games, scheduled to begin on July 23.
“We have never heard of that, it is completely groundless, we cannot consider it as a possibility,” the Tokyo 2020 boss said.
“There is concern over the new variant from India, and for that reason, before they come to Japan, they need to be fully vaccinated. That is the policy we have announced: 100% vaccination is recommended and required (for athletes) from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and other related countries.
“So, they need to consult IOC (International Olympic Committee) and they will be vaccinated before entering Japan,” he said at the press conference in Tokyo yesterday.
He also denied that there are discussions to cancel or further delay the Olympic and Paralympic Games, already having been postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A daily newspaper yesterday reported that the Japanese government issued a circular to the Olympic organising committee to “deny entry” to athletes from 10 countries experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases.
According to the report, if the committee did not deny entry, stricter measures would be imposed, including a 14-day quarantine.
Besides Malaysia, the countries likely to be named in the report are India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the Youth and Sports Ministry has said it is always in close contact with the Foreign Ministry and Malaysian embassy in Japan for any new developments regarding the national contingent’s participation in next month’s Games.
Its minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said he has ordered the National Sports Council to discuss with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and all relevant parties to get confirmation and detailed information regarding the matter.
“I am aware of media reports that there may be 10 countries that will not be allowed to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, including Malaysia. It is also related to the list of 159 countries barred from entering Japan, according to a statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
“The statement also mentioned that exemptions could be given to several categories of foreign nationals, including athletes and other persons concerned with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, Reezal Merican said the momentum of the national athletes’ preparations for the Olympics, including physical and mental training, is good.
“In addition to ensuring the best preparations for athletes, (the ministry) will always prioritise the safety and health of athletes, coaches and officials involved. All the latest developments regarding this matter will be announced periodically,” he said.
In this regard, OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria told Bernama the council had not received any announcement regarding the matter, and wanted to seek an explanation from IOC and the Japanese government about the issue, while IOC said in an email that border control measures are according to the jurisdiction of the host country. – Bernama, June 9, 2021
