The Greece Olympic committee on Sunday(march 15) announced that the handover ceremony will be done behind closed doors as planned this week on March 19 at the Panathenaic Stadium amid COVID-19 outbreak .
Earlier, Olympic torch lighting ceremony was also conducted with no spectators at the Olympia ground and the Greek leg of the Olympic Torch Relay got cancelled after it attracted huge crowd of spectators.
“Hellenic Olympic Committee has agreed to carry out the handover ceremony as planned on March 19th, although there will be no public in attendance. Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate closely with all related organisations including the IOC and the Hellenic Olympic Committee.” Said Tokyo Olympic committee in a Statement dated 14 march.
“The Hellenic Olympic Committee has decided that the handover ceremony for the “Tokyo 2020″ Olympic Games, on Thursday, March 19, will take place at the Panathenaic Stadium behind closed doors,” the committee said in latest statement.
“Following the orders of the Greek State in order to contain the coronavirus pandemic and for the protection of public health no accreditation cards issued will be valid,” Hellenic Committee said.
Greece has reported three fatalities from the disease and 228 confirmed cases by late Saturday.
In handover ceremony , the National Olympic Committee of Greece will hand over the Olympic torch to the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Despite much disturbances in the schedule of ceremonies of Olympics and cancellation major sporting events around the world , Abe and as well as the International Olympic Committee are adamant on holding the Games as scheduled from 24 July 2020
TOKYO OLYMPICS 