The Tokyo 2020 Olympic organisers have banned international fans from attending the sporting events in a bid to reduce COVID-19 virus risks.

The decision was announced on Saturday after an online meeting between the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee and local organisers.

This will be the first time ever that the Tokyo Games will be held without overseas spectators, as organisers scale back their ambitions for the pandemic event.

Olympic and Paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded, it said in a statement – around 600,000 tickets for the Olympics and another 300,000 for the Paralympics.

When the decision to postpone the Games was taken last year, officials said the delay would allow them to hold the event as “proof of humanity’s triumph over the virus.”

But instead, the Games are shaping up to be largely a television event for most of the world, with little of the international party atmosphere that usually characterises an Olympics.

In a statement issued after talks between local organisers, Japanese officials and Olympic and Paralympic chiefs, Games officials said the virus situation in Japan and abroad remained “very challenging”.

“Based on the present situation of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from overseas,” they added.

As a result, “the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they (overseas fans) will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee “fully respect and accept this conclusion,” the statement added, saying refund details would be released soon.

IOC chief Thomas Bach set the stage for the decision at the start of talks between the parties earlier Saturday evening, warning “difficult decisions” would be necessary to ensure safety.

The move had been widely anticipated in recent weeks, with leaks suggesting organisers believe a ban on overseas fans is the only option as they work to make the Games safe despite the pandemic.

The IOC has reportedly sought limited exemptions for some overseas guests, but the rules are likely to be strict.

Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto has admitted it will be “difficult” for even the families of foreign athletes to attend.

Just how many domestic spectators will be in venues this summer has yet to be decided.

Organisers originally suggested they would rule on that by April, but Bach has said the decision could be pushed closer to the July 23 opening ceremony.

They proclaimed the event would mark the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and a celebration of the end of a global crisis.

But even with vaccines rolling out in much of the world, the virus continues to cause havoc, and the narrative from Olympic officials looks to be changing.

The torch relay kicks off next week, with spectators barred from the launch ceremony and those lining the route asked to avoid cheering.

In an interview last week, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto acknowledged that the virus situation in the Japanese capital remained “extremely serious” and said the Games offered “solidarity” during a difficult time.

Japan’s public remains sceptical about the safety of the event, with a majority opposed to holding it this year and favouring either cancellation or further postponement.

But organisers and Olympic officials have said neither of those are options, and they have put together virus rulebooks they say will ensure the Games are safe regardless of the pandemic.

The IOC is also encouraging athletes to get vaccinated, even securing a supply of doses from China to offer to those in countries without advanced inoculation programmes.

The year-long delay and virus safety countermeasures have helped balloon Tokyo 2020’s already mammoth budget to an eyewatering 1.64 trillion yen ($15 billion), making the Games potentially the most expensive summer Olympics in history.

The PUNCH