(AP) -- Brazil's Olympic Committee has called for the Tokyo Olympic Games to be postponed until 2021.

The Brazilian body said in a statement published on Saturday that the decision is a necessity due to the seriousness of the pandemic and "the consequent difficulty for athletes to keep their best competitive level."

It also said that it continues to "trust in the International Olympic Committee." Brazil organized the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the first in South America.