IOC President Bach arrives in Tokyo to review Olympics preparations

TOKYO - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach arrived here on Sunday afternoon for a three-day visit which is expected to boost the confidence of the Olympic organizers.

Bach, who traveled on a chartered flight, landed at Tokyo's Haneda Airport where he was welcomed by the Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita and International Gymnastics Federation President Molinari Watanabe.

It was Bach's first visit to Japan since the Tokyo Olympic Games was postponed in March. He was originally scheduled to visit Tokyo in May and attend the torch relay in Hiroshima but his visit was canceled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

His first open event will be a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday morning, after which he will meet with Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe and award the former Prime Minister the Olympic Order at the Japan Olympic Museum.

He will next visit Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and then hold talks with the organizing committee officials before attending a joint press conference with Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori.

The IOC chief will then visit the Olympic village and the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, the organizers said.

He promised earlier this year in Lausanne that the Tokyo Olympic Games will be held next year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The message I want to deliver to the Japanese people is that we are fully committed to the safe organization of the games," he said at a press conference.