The UAE NOC held a virtual meeting with organisers of Tokyo 2020 ©UAE NOC

The United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC) held a meeting with organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to discuss organisational matters and extra precautions that may be taken as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual meeting was attended by Ahmed Al Tayeb, director of technical and sports affairs at the UAE NOC and Butti Al Abdouli, director of performance follow-up and development at the NOC.

Tokyo 2020 organisers were represented at the meeting by Michel Kamrouf, International Relations Officer for West Asia at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Gabriel Andreid, logistics officer for the Tokyo Olympic Village.

The UAE NOC officials reviewed the efforts of the Organising Committee of Tokyo 2020 under the current conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with a focus on the protection and safety of athletes and sports officials during their participation in sports competitions or stay at the Olympic Village.

During the meeting, the Organising Committee stressed its commitment to prioritising health issues and addressing health concerns during the Games, as an extension to the precautionary measures already in place.

The UAE NOC confirmed its participation in the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Games, and said that its two athletes qualified, judokas Ivan Remarenco and Victor Scvortov, were ready to compete.

The UAE NOC held a virtual meeting with Tokyo 2020 organisers to receive an update on progress ahead of the rearranged Games ©Getty Images
The UAE NOC held a virtual meeting with Tokyo 2020 organisers to receive an update on progress ahead of the rearranged Games ©Getty Images

The NOC pledged that it would attend both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and would support the host nation in any way possible to ensure the event is a success.

"The organisers have been putting fresh measures especially on the medical front due to the existing coronavirus pandemic," said Al Tayeb, as reported by Gulf News.

"We needed to consider all these measures and review and study them in advance before the UAE contingent lands in Tokyo next year.

"One of the things is the establishment of specialised medical centres at various locations in Tokyo prior, during and after the Games. 

"The organisers are keen to ensure we are up to the mark when it comes to the safety and health of all attendees."

Al Tayeb added that federations were able to hold sports camps for qualified athletes in Tokyo or other cities in coordination with the Olympic Solidarity programme, and said the UAE NOC were hopeful of arranging such a camp.