Lausanne [Switzerland], March 11 (ANI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Thursday said that the Chinese Olympic Committee has offered vaccine doses for the participants of this year’s Tokyo Olympics as well as the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
“I can inform that a significant number of Olympic Teams have already been vaccinated in line with their national vaccination guidelines. Another significant number have already received a commitment of their governments in this respect or are in very positive discussions,” Bach said during the 137th IOC session.
“The IOC continues to support these efforts. In this context, the IOC has received a kind offer from the Chinese Olympic Committee, the host of Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games Beijing 2022. The offer is to make additional vaccine doses available to participants in both editions of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. The Chinese Olympic Committee is ready in cooperation with IOC to make these additional doses available in two different ways, either via collaboration with international partners or directly in the numerous countries where agreement regarding the Chinese vaccines are already in place,” he added.
Bach said they are grateful for the offer, adding that it shows the “true Olympic spirit of solidarity”.
“We are grateful for this offer which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity. In this spirit, the IOC will pay for these additional doses of vaccines not only for the Olympic, but also for the Paralympic teams. Furthermore, for each of these additional doses for an Olympic and Paralympic team, the IOC will pay for two doses more which can be made available to the population in the respective country according to their needs,” he said.
“These initiatives are another milestone in securing the safety of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. They are our demonstration of solidarity with the Japanese people for whom we have such high respect and whom we hold in such high regard,” Bach added.
Also, Bach was on Wednesday re-elected for an additional four-year term. “Olympic champion Thomas Bach has been re-elected for an additional four-year term as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” the official Twitter handle of Olympics had written.
Tokyo Olympics is set to take place from July 23-August 8 this year. The Games were scheduled to be held last year, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whereas, the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5. (ANI)