With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the vaccine 颅rollout will be complete by 颅September 2021, sport is expected to be in the midst of a re-emergence by next fall.
But the organizers of the 2021 Victoria 55-plus Games, scheduled for Sept. 14-18, did not feel comfortable chancing it and have postponed the event to 2022. A new date has not been set.
鈥淚t would have been the front end of the return,鈥� said Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission.
The sa国际传媒 55-plus Games are held annually. The 2020 Games, scheduled for Richmond, were cancelled due to the pandemic.
鈥淲hile this delay is yet another blow caused by COVID-19, we seek to see the positive in allowing Greater Victoria now having the time to deliver an event in a world we all want to get back to 鈥� not just normal 鈥� but truly great,鈥� said Victoria lawyer Michael O鈥機onnor, president of the host organizing committee.
鈥淣ow our committee will set the goal on how we can accomplish that against a revised timeline.鈥�
As a result, the 2022 Games originally scheduled for 颅Abbotsford, have been pushed to 2023.
鈥淭his is not the decision we wanted to make but the health and safety of our participants and volunteers comes first,鈥� said Paul Kingan, acting president of the sa国际传媒 Seniors Games Society, in a statement.
鈥淥ur staff consulted with 颅government and health 颅departments and we all came to the conclusion that this was the best decision we can make with the information we have at the time.鈥�
The Games usually have 30 sports and 3,500 athletes. The Victoria Games would have been abbreviated to 25 sports if held in 2021. About 600 volunteers will be needed for the Games delayed to 2022. Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt, Oak Bay and Langford have committed venues.
鈥淲e deferred to viaSport and the health authorities,鈥� said Wells.
But the delay does have its benefits.
鈥淲e wanted it in 2021 but would have had to have about a 75 percent event. By going a year later, we can have a 100 per cent event,鈥� said Wells.
The sa国际传媒 55-plus Games are not an elite event, although former Olympians and other internationals are welcome to compete, but have more of a sport-for-life and health-type vibe. Wells said 颅organizers are cognizant of the age-group involved.
Other 2021 events, especially those in summer, are looking as if they will happen.
鈥淲e are optimistic about the FIBA Olympic basketball 颅qualifying tournament being completed [June 29 to July 4 at Save-on-Foods Memorial 颅Centre],鈥� said Wells.
The Japanese government and IOC have expressed high degrees of confidence the 2020 Plus One Tokyo Olympics will proceed in the summer.
