GENEVA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on Tuesday that IOC is fully committed to the success of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and encourage all athletes to continue preparing for the Games.

"The IOC remains fully committed to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020," said Bach. "We remain very confident with regard to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020."

Bach's remarks came during the IOC executive board two-day meeting which is focused on the preparation of Tokyo Olympic Games amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak around the world.

In a short statement, the IOC president said a joint task force, consisting of the IOC, the organizing committee, the host city of Tokyo, the government of Japan and in particular the World Health Organization (WHO), has been in "very constructive way of cooperation" since mid-February against the backdrop of COVID-19.

He added that the IOC will continue regular consultation with the joint task force to address any development which may occur.

Meanwhile, Bach encouraged all the athletes to continue their preparation for the Games with great confidence and with full steam, and reassured the IOC's continuous support to the athletes and their NOCs.

Many sporting events worldwide have been either canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On Monday, WHO said the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan had become the greatest concern.

In Japan, as of Monday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to more than 960, with over 700 of them stemming from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in the port city of Yokohama.  ■