OOPS! Olympics President Thomas Bach Fumbles, Mistakenly Calls Japanese People As 'Chinese'

Bach was caught tripping over his words when the President mentioned “Chinese people” rather than “Japanese people.

(File Photo/ Getty Images)

Tokyo: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach had a slip-of-tongue moment while addressing the press in Tokyo. Bach was speaking at the headquarters of the Olympics managing committee in Tokyo. Thomas Bach began by saying, “You have managed to make Tokyo the best-ever prepared a city for the Olympic Games. This is even more remarkable under the difficult circumstances we all have to face.”

Bach was caught tripping over his words when the President mentioned “Chinese people” rather than “Japanese people.” “Our common target is safe and secure games for everybody; for the athletes, for all the delegations, and most importantly also for the Chinese people — Japanese people,” Bach said, correcting himself quickly. (As quoted by AP)

The comments of the IOC President were translated from English to Japanese, but the fumble was not translated. Even after that, the Japanese media picked it and Bach faced backlash for his statements. 

Later the president also said that the preparations for the Olympics have been fantastic. "You have done a fantastic job in preparing ... This is even more remarkable under the difficult circumstances we all have to face," Bach added. Addressing the Covid-19 situation, Bach said, "After all this additional stress during the pandemic, finally (athletes) can shine on the Olympic stage. And I hope that they will, under these circumstances nevertheless, enjoy it to the fullest," said Bach.

The Olympic Games are set to begin on 23 July 2021 in Tokyo. This time, the games will be held behind closed doors as no spectators would be allowed in the stadium due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Japan.