<p class="title">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Abe pledged Japan would host the Games as planned in July and said he had no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak, which has now seen more than 140,000 people infected across the globe and over 5,400 killed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His comments come two days after US President Donald Trump suggested the Japanese capital postpone the Games for a year as the spread of the virus wreaks havoc on the sporting calendar.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-updates-total-confirmed-cases-in-india-jumps-to-107-799686.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p class="bodytext">"We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC (International Olympic Committee). There is no change in this," Abe told a news conference.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Organisers, Japanese government officials and the IOC have insisted preparations are on track and there will be no postponement or cancellation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">England's football Premier League, America's NBA basketball season and the Augusta Masters golf major are just some of the competitions suspended because of the pandemic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Friday, Abe and Trump spoke on the phone about the outbreak and Olympics after Trump proposed a delay.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We agreed that Japan and the US will cooperate and closely coordinate for success in the Olympics," Abe said, adding they had not discussed any postponement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Japanese parliament on Friday approved legislation that gives Abe the power to declare a state of emergency to combat COVID-19 but Abe insisted such a declaration was not yet necessary.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The coronavirus has infected more than 700 people across Japan and been linked to 21 deaths. Separately, 700 people on board a cruise ship that docked near Tokyo last month were also infected.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A state of emergency would allow local governments to require that people stay indoors, schools close and public facilities limit use.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Land and buildings could be requisitioned for makeshift hospitals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">IOC chief Thomas Bach told German television broadcaster ARD on Thursday that the body would follow recommendations by the World Health Organization but that work continued for a successful Games.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He acknowledged however that cancellations of Olympic qualifiers are starting to pose "serious problems".</p>
<p class="title">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Abe pledged Japan would host the Games as planned in July and said he had no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak, which has now seen more than 140,000 people infected across the globe and over 5,400 killed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His comments come two days after US President Donald Trump suggested the Japanese capital postpone the Games for a year as the spread of the virus wreaks havoc on the sporting calendar.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-updates-total-confirmed-cases-in-india-jumps-to-107-799686.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p class="bodytext">"We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC (International Olympic Committee). There is no change in this," Abe told a news conference.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Organisers, Japanese government officials and the IOC have insisted preparations are on track and there will be no postponement or cancellation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">England's football Premier League, America's NBA basketball season and the Augusta Masters golf major are just some of the competitions suspended because of the pandemic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Friday, Abe and Trump spoke on the phone about the outbreak and Olympics after Trump proposed a delay.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We agreed that Japan and the US will cooperate and closely coordinate for success in the Olympics," Abe said, adding they had not discussed any postponement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Japanese parliament on Friday approved legislation that gives Abe the power to declare a state of emergency to combat COVID-19 but Abe insisted such a declaration was not yet necessary.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The coronavirus has infected more than 700 people across Japan and been linked to 21 deaths. Separately, 700 people on board a cruise ship that docked near Tokyo last month were also infected.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A state of emergency would allow local governments to require that people stay indoors, schools close and public facilities limit use.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Land and buildings could be requisitioned for makeshift hospitals.</p>.<p class="bodytext">IOC chief Thomas Bach told German television broadcaster ARD on Thursday that the body would follow recommendations by the World Health Organization but that work continued for a successful Games.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He acknowledged however that cancellations of Olympic qualifiers are starting to pose "serious problems".</p>