A pedestrian walks past the Olympics rings at the Japan Olympic Museum located in front of the main stadium of the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, on March 24, 2020. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he agreed with the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo Olympics by about a year. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

The Tokyo Olympics, delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, could now start in July next year, NHK reported.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach agreed to put off the Tokyo Games for about a year

The International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers are planning to set the opening date on July 23, 2021, and the closing date on Aug 8, NHK said Sunday, citing sources it didn’t identify.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach agreed to put off the Tokyo Games for about a year, the first postponement since the modern games began in the 19th century. The delay compounded economic concerns for Japan, and Abe on Saturday said he plans to submit an extra budget to help fund a stimulus package, which would include cash handouts for citizens and small businesses in need.

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Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, earlier said that the date would be finalized as soon as this week.

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