The decision to postpone the Olympic and Paralympic Games was announced on Tuesday (March 24) by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.

Abe confirmed the postponement following a teleconference with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

The decision followed mounting calls for the Games to be delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Health concerns, access to training facilities and an uncertain qualification schedule increased the pressure on organisers.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee said they had made the "difficult decision" not to travel to Japan in 2020, while the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) also told their athletes to prepare for a Games in 2021 as a team for this year "could not be assembled".

Several other National Olympic Committees had joined calls for the Games to be postponed.

It was decided the Olympics will be held no later than the summer of 2021, with the Paralympics following.

The decision has received support from the G20 members, following a virtual summit to discuss the coronavirus pandemic yesterday.

The G20 is comprised of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“We value the efforts to safeguard our people’s health through the postponement of major public events, in particular the decision by the International Olympic Committee to reschedule the Olympic Games to a date no later than summer 2021,” an extraordinary statement from the G20 read.

“We commend Japan’s determination to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in their complete form as a symbol of human resilience.”

The declaration on the Olympic and Paralympic Games postponement was featured as part of a wider message, which called for a “transparent, robust, coordinated, large scale and science-based global response” to the pandemic.

IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the comment from the G20.

Bach repeated his assertion that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can be “a light” for humanity during the coronavirus crisis.

“It is a great encouragement for Japan and the IOC, and their joint commitment to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, to have this significant support of the world’s leaders by a joint G20 statement.

“Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel.

“These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

IOC Coordination Commission chair John Coates has suggested the organisation is working with Tokyo 2020 and federations to clear a window in July and August for the Olympics.

IOC President Thomas Bach has also said the Olympics would "not be restricted to the summer months" and claimed all options were on the table, with the possibility of a spring Games mooted.

The dates of the postponed Games are among the vast challenges Tokyo 2020 and the IOC will need to work through.

The financial implications of the move to 2021 will be another key area.