OA says India confident of Tokyo hosting successful Games next year
New Delhi:The Indian Olympic Association on Thursday said that it is confident of Tokyo hosting “the best ever Games” next year and the country is looking forward to participating in the multi-sporting spectacle. In a message on the occasion to mark exactly one year before the Olympics, the IOA wished the athletes and officials world over, and the Tokyo organisers a successful Games next year. “We are confident that the IOC, its associates, and our friends in Tokyo would be hosting the best ever Games in the history of the Olympic movement one year from now,” IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said. “The entire nation is looking forward to Team India’s participation in the Games,” he said in a statement. Mehta acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised new challenges for the sporting fraternity in the world and there is a “long road ahead of us”. “There are some drawbacks but there are many benefits too. Our National Sports Federations are taking all precautionary measures to ensure the welfare of the athletes and officials whilst staying optimistically focused on the Olympics,” he said. (PTI)
ITF announces plans to resume play
London: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced initial plans to resume play on four of its tours — ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors, the ITF Seniors Tour, the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour and the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour.No provisional dates have been announced for the Seniors Tour or the Wheelchair Tennis Tour but the committees for each has decided there will be no resumption of play until at least August 31 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The World Tennis Tour Juniors and the Beach Tennis World Tour are expected to start in the week commencing August 31.Men’s and women’s events on the ITF World Tennis Tour are scheduled to resume in the week commencing August 17.”This year has been a challenging one for all of us in the tennis world, and while we are all eager to resume the tours as soon as possible in order to restore playing and earning opportunities for players across the world, we must ensure that we take the appropriate steps to make events as safe as possible when they restart,” said ITF President David Haggerty.”We remain in constant communication with our member national associations and will continue to support event hosts,” he added.(IANS)