New Delhi, India, May 3, 2020: International Olympic Committee Member and Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra believes the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will “definitely” be held next year.
“Don’t go by what is being said that the Olympics may not be held next year. I am keeping in touch with reliable sources in the world of sport and the Tokyo Olympics will definitely be happening next year,” Batra said while addressing the Special General Meeting of the Athletics Federation of India, which was held online.
He said he expected there would be treatment available for the coronavirus in September or October this year.
“We have to plan ourselves thinking that the Olympics will be held.”
The rescheduled Games are to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
Batra, who is also President of the International Hockey Federation, became an IOC Member in June last year. He has been at the helm of the Indian Olympic Association since December 2017.
He revealed his tenure as FIH chief has been extended until June 2021 as the elections scheduled to be held in October this year have been postponed.
Batra has predicted that India will win more than 10 medals at the Tokyo Olympics. “About 80 Indian athletes have already qualified for the Olympics so I maintain my earlier prediction of a double-figure medal tally and I don’t think this situation will change anything.”
Batra added that he was counting on the men’s hockey team – which has won eight Olympic golds but not finished in the first four since 1980 – to return to success. “I am certainly looking to the men’s team for a medal.”
Source: PTI and AFP