Question: Where will the Summer Olympics 2020 be held?
(a) Beijing (China)
(b) Sydney (Australia)
(c) Tokyo (Japan)
(d) Seoul (South Korea)
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- The International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee have decided to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games to the summer 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Games, scheduled for July 24 – Aug. 9, will be held between 23 Jul, 2021 –8 Aug, 2021.
- The nations withdrew in the backdrop of limited international travel, difficulty in training and exposed risk of contracting or spreading the disease.
- Tokyo was spending $12.6 billion to host the Games and a postponement could cost it $6 billion as the short-term period loss.
- It will also be a bitter blow to sponsors and major broadcasters who rely on this four-yearly event for critical advertising revenue.
History:
- Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece and were an intrinsic part of a religious festival.They were held in honour of Zeus (the greek god of the sky) at Olympia in Greece.
- The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 at Athens (Greece).
- The architect of the modern Olympics Games was Pierre, baron de Coubertin.
- International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created on 23 June 1894 and is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement.
- It is a not-for-profit independent international organization.
- The Olympics have been held every four years since 1948.
- The Olympics have never before been delayed, though they were cancelled altogether in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during the two world wars, and major Cold War boycotts disrupted the Moscow and Los Angeles Games in 1980 and 1984 respectively.
- It is also considered as the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.
- In 1940, Japan was to be the first Asian country to host the Olympics.
Links:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/sport/2020-olympic-games-will-be-postponed-says-ioc-member-dick-pound/article31148711.ece/amp/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/sports/olympics/coronavirus-summer-olympics-postponed.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/sports/olympics/coronavirus-summer-olympics-postponed.htm