The Summer Olympics may not go ahead after Deputy Chief of Japan’s olympic games commitee has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Kozo Tashima said in a statement issued via the Japanese Football Association: ‘Today, my test result showed positive for the new coronavirus.’

He states he had been on a business trip since February 28th, first to Belfast and then to Amsterdam for a UEFA meeting to give a presentation on Japan’s bid for the 2023 women’s World cup.

He finished in Europe with a general meeting with UEFA in the Netherlands on the 3rd of March before flying to America to watch the Japanese women’s team in action and to lobby for the women’s World Cup.

He then returned to Japan on March 8th.

In his statement, Mr Tasima said: ‘In Amsterdam and in Europe in early March, the level of nervousness against the novel coronavirus was not the same as now. ‘Everyone was still doing hugs, handshakes and bises (cheek kissing).’

The 2020 Summer Olympics are due to kick off later this year on Friday 24 July and run for just over two weeks until Sunday 9 August however, with the pandemic and mass global cancellations amongst sports governing bodies, it is doubtful the olympics will happen.