Tokyo 2020 will be staged behind closed doors after a surge in coronavirus numbers meant a new state of emergency is in place in the Japanese capital.
As reported by Yahoo! sport, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, is in three days of self-isolation having arrived in Tokyo earlier this week after remotely meeting with organisers and the city’s governor.
Seiko Hashimoto, the organising committee’s chief, described the situation that will see no spectators attending the games as a ‘very difficult decision’.
“We have shown this responsibility since the day of the postponement and we will also show it today,” he said as quoted by Yahoo! sport.
“We will support any measure which is necessary to have a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games for the Japanese people and all the participants.”
Overseas spectators have known for several months that they wouldn’t be able to travel and attend the event as the hope was that at least locals would be able to watch the action.
However, after the public and medical experts were increasing their scrutiny of the games again allowing fans in, let alone it possibly being postponed or cancelled, the hope of 10,000 local fans attending has been abruptly diminished.