Athletes and sports federations look at the postponement of the 2020 Olympics as a blessing in disguise, despite having to wrap their heads around revised training programs and budgets, as it gives them another year to hone their skills and prepare for competition on the biggest stage.

Veteran weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan was not discouraged when he heard that the Tokyo Games were postponed to sometime next year, no later than summer 2021. He is still hopeful to come out on top at the sporting event to bring home Olympic gold.

“One thing is certain; the preparation time will be much longer,” Eko told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. “It also does not affect me mentally; I will keep adhering to the [training] program.”

Having participated in three Olympic games since 2008, the Indonesian has collected one silver and two bronze medals. Silver, which he won in the ...