London, Mar 25 (IANS): International Tennis Federation (ITF) has welcomed the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021.

"The global health situation continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace and we are faced with an unprecedented situation that calls for responsible leadership and making informed decisions. Whilst this is a bitter disappointment for all those who have been preparing and training hard, we all understand that the protection of human life, health and safety, comes first," said ITF president David Haggerty, according to Xinhua news.

"The ITF supports this decision and will continue to collaborate fully with the IOC and the IPC going forward to 2021. We look forward to seeing all athletes, volunteers and fans when it is safe for us to meet and participate at our best at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020," he added.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Tuesday that the Games, originally scheduled for July 24-August 9 this year, would be held "no later than summer of 2021" after he and IOC President Thomas Bach reached an agreement over a telephone call.

The Olympic tennis event was originally due to run from July 25 to August 2, and the Paralympic tennis event had been scheduled for August 25-September 5.