The 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed by one year because of coronavirus, says International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound, BBC Sport reported.
It comes after the chairman of the British Olympic Association said Great Britain would be unlikely to send a team to Tokyo this summer.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are due to take placed from 24 July to 9 August
The International Olympic Committee has given itself four weeks to decide on the future of this summer’s Games, but veteran IOC member Pound says a decision will be announced soon.
“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said.
“The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on 24 July, that much I know.”
“It will come in stages,” he said.
“We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”
Many coronavirus affected countries including Australia and Canada have earlier said they will not compete in 2020 Olympic Games.
