Olympic and Paralympic Games: World leaders at G20 summit express support for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022


Olympic and Paralympic Games: World leaders at G20 summit express support for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022
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The world’s leaders assembled at the virtual G20 summit on 21 and 22 November. There they expressed their support for the Olympic and Paralympic Tokyo 2020 and Winter Beijing 2022 Games.

The final declaration of the Summit said, as a symbol of humanity’s resilience and global unity in overcoming COVID19, we commend Japan’s determination to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year. We look forward to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

“Sports can save lives,” says IOC president Thomas Bach at the G20 summit

IOC president Thomas Bach (PC – Since Independence)

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach also joined the G20 summit to address the world leaders. He was invited by the Saudi G20 presidency.

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Sport can save lives. During this coronavirus crisis, we all have seen how important sport is for physical and mental health,” he said in his speech. “The World Health Organization has acknowledged this by signing a cooperation agreement with the IOC. Following this agreement, the UN, the WHO and the IOC launched a co-branded campaign called ‘Healthy Together’, rolling out projects internationally. Furthermore, we are preparing to contribute to a worldwide pro-vaccination campaign,” he said in the official address to the leaders of various countries at the G20 summit.

Bach also highlighted the importance of solidarity in the post-coronavirus world. He further expressed that the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the perfect example of solidarity in such testing times. The Olympic Games will see a participation of 206 National Olympic committees and the IOC refugee Olympic team. It will send a strong message of solidarity, resilience and unity of humankind in all our diversity, believes the IOC president.

Earlier Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, “I am determined to hold the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as a symbol that humankind has overcome the virus. We will continue to make our utmost efforts to realise safe and secure Games,” Support for the IOC and the Olympic Games was also shown by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

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