Lausanne, March 20 (IANS) The International Olympic Committee (IOC), in a meeting with four other bodies, decided to not allow overseas spectators for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo due to the prevailing worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

The quadrennial Games were supposed to be staged in 2020 but were delayed by a year due to the pandemic and will now begin on July 23 this year.

The IOC took the decision after the virtual meeting with International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), the Organising Committee Tokyo 2020 and the Government of Japan.

The tickets purchased by overseas spectators will be refunded.

--IANS kh/