Buck stops with Bach

POC first vice president Joey Romasanta is batting for a consensus among National Olympic Committees (NOCs) all over the world to guide IOC president Thomas Bach in deciding whether or not to proceed with the Tokyo Olympics in July.

Pardon the pun but Romasanta said while the buck stops with Bach, he can’t arbitrarily or singularly make the decision without consulting the NOCs. “Because of this crisis, everything takes a backseat,” he said. “I think Bach should listen to the NOCs. The IOC owns the Olympic franchise. Tokyo is just the host. I think everyone will understand if the IOC decides to postpone the Games. It won’t be a cancellation. It will just be a postponement. So what if four million tickets have been sold to watch the Games? With this situation, how many will end up going anyway?”

Romasanta said the training of Olympic qualifiers and hopefuls has gone haywire. “Countries have gone on lockdown so how can athletes train?” he continued. “It’s difficult enough for athletes to train in individual sports, it’s even more difficult for those in team events. You can’t focus on training because you’re concerned about your family’s safety.”

Romasanta said if the Olympics continue, will there be a 14-day quarantine imposed on the Chinese delegation? “I expect China to send one of the biggest delegations,” he said. At the moment, China has qualified 231 athletes in 25 sports. In basketball, China has qualified for the women’s 5x5 and 3x3 and men’s 3x3. In men’s 5x5, China hopes to make it to Tokyo via the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada, on June 23-28. Competing teams are Canada, Greece, Czech Republic, Turkey, Uruguay and China with only the topnotcher booking a ticket to Tokyo.

In boxing, China has so far qualified six fighters – flyweight Hu Jian-guan, middleweight Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan and lightheavyweight Chen Daxiang in the men’s division and flyweight Chang Yuan, welterweight Gu Hong and middleweight Li Qian in the women’s division. China will send more entries to the world qualifiers, the last train to Tokyo, in Paris in June.

If a quarantine is imposed on Chinese athletes, what about the Italian delegation? Will every athlete be subjected to quarantine? If that is the protocol, what will happen to their training? Will they be allowed to leave their isolated quarters? Can you imagine the chaos in the Athletes Village?  

The other day, it was reported that two Hong Kong karatekas Tsang Yee-ting and Lee Chun-ho have tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving from a training camp in France. Both are classified as elite national athletes and were hoping to advance to Tokyo through the world qualifiers in Paris in May. The Hong Kong Sports Institute has now required athletes returning home from overseas training or competitions after March 5 to be quarantined for 14 days either at home or in a hotel room.

With the world in crisis, the IOC has yet to announce a postponement of the Tokyo Games, insisting the Olympics are still four months away. Entries are to be finalized a month before the Olympics but with the schedule of pending qualifiers now in disarray, a postponement is more than likely. Qualified athletes will step up their training to reach peak form two to three months before the Olympics so the clock in the IOC’s hands is ticking closer and closer to the deadline.

Romasanta said if the IOC is concerned about the four-year Olympic cycle, this could be adjusted. “If we do Tokyo next year, Paris could be reset to 2025,” he said. “In all my life, this is the first time I’m experiencing a crisis like this. Priorities are now changing.” Adjusting the Olympic calendar will require close coordination and consultation with sports officials around the world. The buck may stop with Bach but he’s not going to be able to make the right decision without first gathering a consensus.