The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee will issue ticket refunds to people unable to attend the games due to their one-year postponement, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
Organizers have sold about 4.48 million tickets for the Olympics and roughly 970,000 for the Paralympics through the official ticketing website. The games are slated to open in Japan next July after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
In principle, tickets that have already been purchased are valid for next summer’s games, but consideration will be given to spectators who are unable to attend the games as a result of the delay.
Sources confirmed Wednesday that organizers are on track to secure all the venues originally planned for use in competitions this summer, before the pandemic halted major sports events across the world.
The postponed games will follow roughly the same competition schedule as was previously laid out. The Olympics will begin on July 23, 2021, a day ahead of the original 2020 date, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 24.