The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021.

The decision was reached based on the information provided by the World Health Organisation to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

In a joint statement by the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, it was agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo would stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.

Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The announcement came after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and Prime Minister of Japan Abe Shinzo held a conference call to discuss the changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.