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International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach declared on Thursday that the Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead as scheduled this year, reiterating that there is “no plan B” in place, The Guardian reports.

“We have, at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on 23 July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo,” Bach told Kyodo News in an interview just days ahead of the six-month countdown toward the games.

“This is why there is no plan B and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful,” he added.

After the Games were postponed last year because of the global novel coronavirus pandemic, Saturday marks six months until the rearranged Olympics are due to start. Despite a surge in coronavirus cases leading to much of Japan currently being under severe restrictions, organisers have remained adamant that the Olympics can go ahead.

Meanwhile, the former IOC vice-president Dick Pound says the Olympics could go ahead without fans. “The question is – ‘is this a must-have’ or nice-to-have.’ It’s nice to have spectators. But it’s not a must-have,” Pound said.