Japan denies reports of possible Olympics cancellation

The Japanese government has denied the report published in The Times claiming that Tokyo is looking into scrapping the upcoming Olympics, Deputy Secretary General of the cabinet Manabu Sakai told a press conference in Japan’s capital Friday.

"It is not true," he told reporters when asked about the publication.

Earlier, The Times reported that the Japanese government had privately reached the conclusion that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, citing its sources in the Japanese cabinet.

The Tokyo Olympics was originally planned to be held between July 24 and August 9, 2020. However, the pandemic prompted the decision to reschedule the event to 2021, retaining the Tokyo 2020 brand.