Tokyo Olympics 2020 postponed: Athletes, federations come out in support of the decision

NEW DELHI: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were officially postponed to the summer of 2021 on Tuesday, due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a joint decision, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe confirmed the development on Tuesday evening.
The news of the postponement spread like wildfire on social media and many hailed and lauded the joint decision taken by the IOC and the Japanese Government amid the unprecedented situation around the globe.
The news also brought relief for the athletes, many of whom were unsure about the Games being held as per schedule. Canada had pulled out of the Games earlier for 2020 and Australia had asked its athletes to prepare for an edition in 2021.
Here are some of the reactions from athletes and federations around the world lauding the decision by the IOC and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:

"IOA welcomes the decision of IOC. Discussions were held by IOC with organisers and all stakeholders prior to this. Soon after the lockdown is over, IOA would be holding meetings with athletes, federations, sponsors, etc. to revise plans. This decision today, relieves our athletes of worries of having to train now during epidemic and perform their best in four months from now." - IOA Secretary General Rajiv Mehta