On 24 March Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo announced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although authorities did not announce a new date for the games, Abe stated that he expects they will be held by the summer of 2021. The decision to postpone the games followed intense pressure from athletes and representatives of many nations, who threatened to boycott if the games were held on the previously scheduled dates of 24 July-9 August.