Tokyo Olympics 2020: IOC president Thomas Bach writes to PM Modi; says 'very grateful for your support'
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said he is 'very grateful' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
FollowBengaluru: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he is “very grateful” to him for supporting Olympic Games.
Recently, Tokyo Olympics 2020 were postponed to next year due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Also read: New dates decided for Tokyo Olympics
The letter from Back to PM Modi was shared on Twitter by Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju. He wrote on Thursday (April 2), “Letter of appreciation from the President of International Olympic Committee to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for his commitment and contribution in containing COVID-19 and for promoting the cause of Olympics to make it a symbol of human resilience (sic).”
In the letter, Bach said, "Please accept my sincere thanks for the support you have given to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, expressed in the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit Statement, commending the International Olympic Committee for contributing to the containment of the COVID-19 virus.
"I am very grateful for your support for the Olympic Games and their unifying role, which the G20 Leaders' Summit had already expressed at your meeting last year in Osaka, where I had the great honour to address you, thanks to the generous invitation of Japanese Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo.”
He continued, "Given the great work having been done by our Japanese partners and friends, Tokyo is the best-ever prepared Olympic City. Thanks to the excellent and trustful cooperation we are enjoying, we are, like the G20 Leaders' Summit, confident that these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, now being celebrated from 23 July to 8 August 2021 will be a great success. Together with our Japanese partners and friends, we have agreed on this late date in the year to continue following our principle to further contribute to the containment of the COVID-19 virus.
"With this we are, like you in your statement, confident that the Olympic Games 2020 will be a symbol of human resilience. At the same time, they will again show the unity of humanity in all our diversity, by bringing together the world's best 11,000 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
"As humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel, together with our Japanese partners and friends, we want to make these Olympic Games a light at the end of this tunnel.
"You Excellency, please allow me to thank you very much for your continuing support. Wishing you and all the people of India good health, and all the best in your efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus."
