Schooling and Co take postponement in their stride

Joseph Schooling has lauded the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, saying it has given athletes some "clarity" as they look ahead to sport's biggest stage next year.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in a media briefing last night that he had proposed a one-year postponement for the Tokyo Olympics during talks with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, who was in "100 per cent agreement".

While the new dates for the Games, originally scheduled for July 24-Aug 9, have not been announced, a joint statement by the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said it would take place by the summer of 2021.

Reigning 100m butterfly gold medallist Schooling said he was "pleased" Mr Abe and Bach arrived at the decision.

"This is undoubtedly a tough call but not an unexpected one," said the 24-year-old.

"I believe this is the right move so as to not endanger the health and well-being of athletes and the public."

Schooling, whose triumph in Rio in 2016 was Singapore's first at the Olympics, added that the postponement gives athletes peace of mind, saying: "As athletes, we need to focus on being prepared and giving ourselves the best possible chance of success at the largest sporting event in the world.

"This decision gives us clarity as we recalibrate and work out the best plan around the new dates of the (Tokyo Olympics)."

He added: "My heart goes out to the working committee of the (Tokyo) Olympics, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and all affected athletes around the world.

"By keeping calm, staying united and being socially responsible, I believe we can overcome the challenging times ahead and beat the virus."

A spokesman for the SNOC described the decision to postpone the Olympics as one made "under difficult circumstances", and said it would regroup with affected national sports associations and athletes on any revisions to selection policies or the qualification process.

"We hope by then Team Singapore will be able to participate in the Olympic Games and celebrate the triumph of sports, but also humanity, without the risks the world is facing now," the spokesman added.

Singapore's top male shuttler Loh Kean Yew, 22, has not booked his place in Tokyo but stands a good chance of maintaining his world ranking and making the cut.

The world No. 36 said he was "quite assured" of qualifying for the Olympics with the original dates but is now awaiting updates from the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

"It is up to the BWF to see if they are going to restart the rankings or continue where we left off," he added. "Qualifying is only the first step, being able to be in top form physically and mentally, and peak at the Olympics is more important.

"What is important for me in this period is to take good care of my body and make sure I am ready to take off from where I left off when tournaments resume."

Sailors Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low, who earned Singapore a spot in Tokyo in the two-person 49erFX event, said they were "mentally prepared" for a postponement.

"It is in our hands to adapt and keep an open mind to best prepare ourselves, despite the uncertainty of timeline," they said.

• Additional reporting by David Lee