Sports
I.O.C. AND JAPAN AGREE TO POSTPONE TOKYO OLYMPICS
Shinzo Abe
Instead, the Games, the world’s largest sporting event, will take place in the summer of 2021, a change that will wreak havoc with sports schedules but should bring great relief to the athletes, organizers and health officials who had increasingly pressed that the coronavirus pandemic made it unsafe to go forward with the event.
The decision became inevitable after the national Olympic committee in Canada announced on Sunday that it was withdrawing from the Games, and Australia’s committee told its athletes that it was not possible to train for this summer under the widespread restrictions in place to control the virus. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, after initially declining to take a stand, joined the fray Monday night, urging the I.O.C. to postpone.
In announcing the decision, Abe said he had asked Thomas Bach, president of the I.O.C., for a one-year delay and he had “agreed 100 percent.” I.O.C. leaders have acknowledged the disruption but said that a delay was the only way to ensure that athletes could train safely and the more than $10 billion the Japan has spent to prepare for the Olympics during the past seven years would not go to waste.
In 2013, Tokyo beat out Madrid and Istanbul to win hosting rights for the event. Bach had said last week canceling the Games would not be an option.
In recent years a growing number of cities and countries have balked at bidding to host the Olympics. Abandoning the event after all that has been invested might have doomed the I.O.C., further discouraging cities from offering to host future Games. Without cities willing to take on the immense expense and inconvenience that comes with hosting the Games, the Olympics would cease to exist.
The postponement of the world’s largest sporting event came after numerous other delays or cancellations in Japan and around the world. This month, the N.B.A. suspended its season in the United States, and Japan canceled its spring high school baseball tournament for the first time since World War II. League soccer play has been suspended in Japan, and the Asia Sevens Invitational rugby tournament was canceled.
In a conference call in March between the World Health Organization and the medical officers for the international sports federations that oversee Olympic events, participants discussed worst-case scenarios, including the possibility of holding the Games without spectators. Ultimately, organizers decided that delaying would allow more time to bring the virus under control.
At a time when Japan’s economy is already stumbling, the delay of the Olympics could deal a serious blow. In a report early this month, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. projected that a cancellation of the Games would erase 1.4 percent of Japan’s economic output.
One of the trickiest aspects of moving the Games is handling the broadcast rights that drive revenue for the International Olympic Committee. Nearly three-quarters of I.O.C. revenue comes from broadcast rights, and about half of those fees are paid by the American broadcaster NBC. Experts said its likely broadcaster and other Olympic partners may seek a reduction in their fees.
Postponing the Games for a year will yield significant complications. The international governing bodies for track and field and swimming are set to hold world championships then and will have to work with their athletes and host cities to push those events back, as will other international federations with major events on the calendar.
Until now, the Olympics had not been canceled or postponed since World War II.
However, keeping the event in the summer means most of the top professional athletes, including golfers and tennis, basketball and soccer players, may still be able to participate. At other times in the year, they have commitments to their usual teams and leagues. Also, the Games organizers will not have to worry about television audiences, which probably would have shrunk if the Olympics had to compete with the busy fall sports schedule in the United States and across Europe — including the N.F.L., playoff baseball and the Premier League.
Moving the Games to the summer of 2022, another option, carried its own logistical challenges. In 2022, the I.O.C. is set to hold the Winter Games in Beijing. Also, soccer’s World Cup, which rivals the Olympics for the globe’s biggest audience, is scheduled for the end of 2022. Three events in a calendar year would have put significant much financial pressure on Olympic sponsors, several of which also commit hundreds of millions of dollars to both the Winter Games and the World Cup and are now reeling form the collapse of the world economy.
Paris is set to host the Summer Olympics in 2024, and Los Angeles in 2028.
Until now, the Olympics had not been canceled or postponed since World War II. Tokyo was supposed to host the Summer Games in 1940 but had to bow out after it went to war with China. The Games were then awarded to Helsinki, but were canceled after the outbreak of the war in Europe. Helsinki ultimately hosted the 1952 Summer Games, and Tokyo held them in 1964.
The Summer Olympics are the world’s largest sporting event, attracting more than 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries, and the I.O.C. prides itself on being a peace movement that brings the world together every two years at the Winter and Summer Games.
With that in mind, as well as the billions of dollars that had been invested in the Games, Bach postponed his decision for months, waiting to see if the threat of the pandemic would dissipate. Ultimately, the prospect of making the situation worse proved too great a risk for an organization that relies largely on the good will of people and governments around the world for its survival.
The coronavirus initially broke out in China in December but quickly spread across Asia. While it appears to have stabilized somewhat in Japan, the health experts remain concerned that bringing together people from disparate parts of the globe — especially athletes who live closely in a village — might ignite an additional outbreak.
By James Aduku Odaudu, PhD
In recent days, the global football community has been united in mourning the tragic passing of Liverpool star Diogo Jota. Tributes have poured in from across the world—teammates laying wreaths, fans holding candlelight vigils, club management releasing elaborate statements celebrating his legacy. Social media platforms are awash with heartfelt messages, video compilations of his goals and assists, and solemn reflections on how his life touched millions.
Yet, on the African continent, particularly in Nigeria, a parallel story unfolds—one that underscores an enduring national malaise: our collective disregard for our own heroes.
Nigeria’s former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, fondly nicknamed Dodo Mayana, also passed away recently. Unlike the global outpouring of grief for Jota, Rufai’s death has hardly made a ripple beyond a few perfunctory headlines. No official national day of mourning, no dedicated memorial games, no unified show of respect. In fact, even before his death, reports revealed that Rufai had been largely abandoned in his prolonged illness, relying on a few benevolent friends and family members rather than the country he once served with distinction.
This contrast is more than a sad coincidence. It is symptomatic of why Nigerian sportsmen and women increasingly question their commitment to national service and representation.
Two Deaths, Two Different Reactions
Diogo Jota: A Death Mourned with Honour –
Jota’s passing triggered a robust institutional response. Liverpool FC, the English Premier League, UEFA, and the Portuguese Football Federation each released statements highlighting not only his professional feats but also his humanity. Fellow players wore black armbands. Stadiums observed a minute’s silence. His family was assured of lifelong support, and conversations began immediately about establishing a foundation in his memory.
This isn’t just about sentimentality; it’s an established culture of respect. In countries like England, Spain, Germany, and Portugal, sport is more than entertainment—it is a pillar of national pride. Therefore, when an icon falls, they are honoured with dignity and gratitude, setting an example for future generations that their sacrifice will never be in vain.
* Peter Rufai: A Death Met with Silence
Contrast that to Rufai’s final days. The man who captained the Super Eagles to glory and inspired countless young Nigerians into football was left in relative obscurity. Apart from some individual tributes from former teammates and a sprinkling of mentions in the local press, official recognition was muted. He died as he lived the latter part of his life: neglected by the institutions he helped elevate.
This is not the first time a Nigerian sports legend has suffered such a fate. Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Samuel Okwaraji—so many of Nigeria’s greats have died in penury, anonymity, or indignity.
* Why Nigeria’s Sportsmen Struggle to Be Committed
The reasons behind this persistent abandonment are layered:
1. Absence of Structured Welfare – In countries with robust sports governance, athletes enjoy insurance, pension schemes, and post-retirement support. Nigeria lacks a comprehensive welfare mechanism to protect athletes when the glory fades. It is an environment where sports heroes are treated as disposable assets.
2. Short-term National Gratitude –
Nigerian institutions often celebrate sporting success in the heat of the moment—lavish dinners, cash gifts, and front-page newspaper spreads—but quickly forget the athlete once the applause dies. This ephemeral recognition discourages long-term commitment.
3. Poor Sports Administration –
Rampant mismanagement in the sports sector means funds meant for athletes’ welfare and development are frequently misappropriated. The result is a system that neither nurtures nor protects its stars.
4. Weak National Identity – Unlike European nations where sport is a vital expression of national identity, many Nigerians perceive football as just another distraction. This weak sense of collective ownership fuels public apathy when sportsmen fall on hard times.
5. No Institutional Memory – Nigeria lacks an established tradition of memorializing its sporting icons through museums, scholarships, or commemorative matches. When there is no institutional memory, there can be no lasting gratitude.
6. Demoralization of Emerging Athletes – Young players see the fates of their predecessors—abandoned, impoverished, and uncelebrated—and begin to question whether the sacrifices of national duty are worth the risks.
Why This Matters
When a nation fails to honour its heroes, it undermines the very spirit that drives excellence. It tells young talents that their sweat, pain, and triumphs are fleeting curiosities. It breeds cynicism. It destroys morale. And it leaves a gaping hole where patriotism and purpose should thrive.
Diogo Jota will be immortalized not only in Liverpool folklore but in European football’s collective consciousness. His family will be comforted with the assurance that his name will never be forgotten.
Peter Rufai, by contrast, stands as a grim testament to how Nigeria continues to fail those who gave their all.
What Must Change
If Nigeria wants its sportsmen and women to be committed to national duty again, three fundamental shifts must occur:
• Institutionalization of Athletes’ Welfare
The government must create enforceable policies guaranteeing health insurance, pensions, and financial assistance for retired athletes.
• Cultural Reorientation
Sports must be redefined as a shared heritage deserving of collective respect and institutional memory.
• Transparent Sports
Administration
Funding, governance, and athlete development must be professionalized and depoliticized.
Until then, the cycle will repeat: our heroes will rise, give everything, and eventually die uncelebrated—while the rest of the world watches, puzzled by how a nation can so consistently abandon its champions.
Let Peter Rufai’s passing be a turning point. Because no athlete should have to wonder whether serving their country is worth the price.
• Dr James Odaudu can be reached at: jamesaduku@gmail.com
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