World Games 2021 on Stand By

(ATR) The fate of the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, will depend on the new date of the Tokyo Olympics.

The largest multi-sport event of 2021 in the United States has been scheduled from July 15 to 25 with the presence of about 3,600 athletes from some 100 countries in 34 sports.

Depending on the dates selected for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, the schedule for the World Games may need to change,

"When the new date of the Olympic Games is known, we will take the measures," José Perurena, president of the International Association of the World Games, tells Around the Rings.

"We are on 'stand by' until the IOC decides," he commented shortly after the joint statement from the Olympic body and the Japanese organizers on postponing the Tokyo Games.

Perurena assured ATR that the new calendar will not be decided before this weekend.

Perurena spoke from his home in Madrid where he has been confined for two weeks due to the state of alarm decreed in Spain because of COVID-19.

He says he spoke to the organizers of the Birmingham World Games on Tuesday shortly after the Tokyo postponement was declared.

"We have spoken with them so that they are pending when the date is known to determine what is best for both of them," he said.

Perurena made it clear that "there is no cancellation option."

The World Games leader, also president of the International Canoe Federation, will also closely analyze the possible matches for the Olympic Games and World Games after this postponement.

"The fundamental problem is how the pandemic evolves, particularly with the southern winter," he reflected.

He also has concerns over the aftermath of the pandemic and whether the U.S. would be able to guarantee entry to the country for World Games participants without border restrictions.

Reported by Miguel Hernandez.