Toshihiro Nikai, the secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, suggested the cancellation just a day after Tokyo reached the 100-days-to-go mark on Wednesday.

Japanese Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa told reporters she was still confirming details and couldn't immediately comment on the matter

The question of refunds came into play a week ago when local organizers and the Japanese government decided to bar most fans from abroad because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February, the president of the organizing committee Yoshiro Mori was forced to resign after making sexist comments, saying women talk too much in meetings.

The German lawyer was unopposed and won the vote 93-1, with four members abstaining

Olympic organizers are asking for restraint along the four-month route that will touch all 47 prefectures and involve 10,000 runners.

The report came just an hour before Tokyo organizers held “five-party” talks online with the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the central government of Japan.

With this announcement, India also lost out in the race to host 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and 2030 Asian Games.

International Olympic Committee named the Australian city of Brisbane its preferred host in a new bidding process not needing a vote or even any rival candidates

International Olympic Committee named the bid centered on the coastal city in the state of Queensland as its preferred candidate.