Tokyo Olympics organisers to cancel water polo test event: report

Tokyo Olympic organisers are expected to cancel a water polo test event scheduled for this weekend, public broadcaster NHK reported, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt preparations less than four months before the start of the Games.

The water polo test event will be cancelled because overseas officials are unable to come to Japan amid strict COVID-19 countermeasures, NHK said in its report on Tuesday.

The Tokyo 2020 organising committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Cancellation would be another blow for organisers just days after they restarted test events, which had been on hold due to the pandemic, for the first time in more than a year.

Eighteen test events were planned in April and May, starting with wheelchair rugby between April 3-4.

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has cancelled the diving, artistic swimming, and marathon swim Olympic qualifiers scheduled for this month and May in Japan, according to the calendar section of its website.

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Meanwhile, Osaka city has formally requested that its leg of the torch relay be cancelled as the western Japanese metropolis grapples with a spike in coronavirus infections. The relay is scheduled to pass through the city on April 14.

The NHK report did not say which overseas officials were not able to come for the water polo test event, which was expected to involve only Japanese athletes.

Mori had previously said that international athletes would be present at five test events, including the FINA qualifiers.