A pedestrian wearing a protective face mask walks past the Olympic rings installed outside the Japan Olympic Museum near the New National Stadium, the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan, March 11, 2020. (Kiyoshi Ota / Bloomberg)

BEIJING - The new date for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be decided at the earliest possible in the next three weeks, a source with the IOC told Xinhua on Friday.

The IOC suggested that setting a new date for Tokyo 2020 is the top priority at present or other work related the postponement cannot progress

"The new date for the Tokyo 2020 will be decided as soon as possible within the next three weeks. There are many factors and interests of shareholders that need to be considered to support the final decision," the source told Xinhua.

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According to the source, the IOC suggested that setting a new date for Tokyo 2020 is the top priority at present or other work related the postponement cannot progress.

According to media reports, John Coates, chairman of the Tokyo 2020 Coordination Committee, said that the IOC is working with the International Federations and relevant agencies, hoping to reschedule the Games between July and August.

As Xinhua's source revealed, there were also proposals to hold the Games in spring, when Japan's cherry blossom comes into bloom.

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Meanwhile, Sebastian Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, confirmed that athletes already qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before the Games were postponed will get to keep their spots in the rescheduled 2021 competition.

About 6,200 of the 11,000 scheduled participants had already secured their positions before the global coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement.

With Reuters inputs