Tokyo Olympics ‘will be cancelled’ as Japanese government ‘decides it cannot go ahead because of coronavirus’

as saying: “No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult.

“Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

But Japanese officials are still adamant that the Olympics will go ahead as planned this summer.

Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Manabu Sakai said: "We will clearly deny the report."

As cited by the Metro, a Tokyo 2020 source told Reuters: "The national government is fully committed to delivering a safe and secure Games, and we are always encouraged by their dedications."

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said only that there is hope Covid vaccinations will have a "positive effect" on the city's ability to host the games as planned in six months.

"Once vaccinations are conducted widely in the U.S. and Europe, I think there is no doubt that it will have a positive effect (on the Games)," he said.

"However, it doesnt solve everything.

"We are hopeful about the vaccines, but at the same time, I think it is inappropriate to be totally dependent on it," he added.

The interview with Muto took place before reports emerged suggesting the Japanese government had made decision to postpone the games.

In an interview with Japan's Nishi Nippon newspaper on Thursday, Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said a decision on whether the Games would go ahead this year would come before the torch relay starts.

However, Muto stressed that this was not the case and no time frame had been discussed.

"Same as cancellation, the postponement hasn't been (discussed)," he said.

"There is no connection between the torch relay and such decisions."

Publicly, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese ruling coalition have said the Games will go ahead as planned.

Japan is currently in its second state of emergency with latest figures stating 345,221 had tested positive for Covid-19 with a death toll of 4,743.

Tokyo and other major Japanese cities are in a state of emergency amid the pandemic, with public opinion polls showing 80 per cent of the population are against hosting the Games.

Earlier, IOC president Thomas Bach insisted there was "no Plan B".

He said: “We have at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo.

“This is why there is no plan B and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful.”

However, Bach did admit that changes to the planned event might have to be made.

He added: “We will need to be flexible. You may not like it but sacrifices will be needed. This is why I'm saying, safety first, and no taboo in the discussion to ensure safety.

“Let me be clear that you cannot compare March 2021 with March 2020 because there is such great progress in science, medicine, vaccination and virus tests. 

"All this was not available in March last year. Nobody knew yet how really to deal with the pandemic, and now we know much more."

At least $25BILLION (£18bn) has already been spent on the Games, with 75 per cent of that coming from the public purse.

The source added that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and the Japanese government will try and 'maintain the facade' of publicly trying to host the Games - and when they are 'inevitably cancelled' hope that the city is given the 2032 Olympics out of sympathy.

Earlier this month,

Pinsent, a four-time gold medal winner, insisted it is not viable for the delayed 2020 event to take place this summer in the Japanese capital as Covid waves still run around the planet.

Meanwhile,