Let the Games begin

TOKYO, July 23

In an Olympics opening ceremony like none before, one tradition held firm today as athletes from across the world paraded into an eerie, almost empty national stadium to represent their nations, for the first time their smiles hidden behind masks.

Most countries were represented by both male and female flagbearers in an Olympics first, but not everybody took pandemic measures — teams from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Pakistan flagbearers paraded maskless in an awkward contrast to protocol.

The opening ceremony, normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities, lacked the usual glitz with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to “be quiet around the venue.” Regardless, it marked a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the globe and at various stages of the pandemic tuning in to watch the start of the greatest show in sport.

Members of the Canada delegation wore patches in the colour of the rainbow, the symbol of the LGBT community, on their jackets. US first lady Jill Biden clapped the Americans as did France President Emmanuel Macron for the French team.

The Olympics oath, recited by the athletes at the end of the parade, has been updated for the Tokyo Games, with athletes swearing their commitment to inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination for the first time at the Olympics.

Most nations were represented by a man and a woman after the organisers changed their rules to allow two flagbearers.

Without fans

Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Olympics without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world.

The opening video featured at the stadium recapped Japan’s path to the Games and the challenges the world has faced since the selection of the Japanese capital as host in 2013.

It showed how the coronavirus struck in 2020, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were due to open, setting off a rollercoaster period of uncertainty and preparations in isolation for the athletes.

A moment of silence was held “for all those family and friends we have lost,” especially to the coronavirus, and mention was made of the Israeli athletes slain at the 1972 Munich Games.

Japan had billed the Olympics as an echo of the 1964 Tokyo Games, which marked the country’s return to the world stage after its devastating World War II defeat, but this time showcasing its recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. — Reuters

Protesters demand cancellation

About 50 protesters have gathered in Tokyo to demand the cancellation of the Olympics. The protesters gathered outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building chanting “no to the Olympics” and “save people’s lives.” They held up signs reading “cancel the Olympics.” The Games, largely without spectators and opposed by much of the host nation, are going ahead a year later than planned. AP

India events today

• India expects a medal from former champ Mirabai Chanu in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event
• India’s men’s hockey team will take on New Zealand at 6:30 am (IST); the women will play the Netherlands at 5:15 pm

Indians in action

Live on Sony Ten, Doordarshan

Archery

Deepika Kumari & Pravin Jadhav vs Chia-En Lin & Chih-Chun Tang (Chinese Taipei) in Mixed Team 1/8 Eliminations 6am

Badminton

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty vs Yang Lee/Chi-Lin Wang (Chinese Taipei) in Men’s Doubles Group A 8:50am

B Sai Praneeth vs Misha Zilberman (Israel) in Men’s Singles Group D 9:30am

Boxing

Vikash Krishan vs Sewonrets Okazawa (Japan) in 69kg

Round of 32 3:54pm

Hockey

India vs New Zealand in Men’s Pool A 6:30am

India vs Netherlands in Women’s Pool A 5:15pm

Judo

Shushila Devi vs Eva Csernoviczki (Hungary) in Women’s 48kg Round of 32 7:30am

Rowing

Arjun Lal Jat & Arvind Singh in Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls Heat 2 7:30am

Shooting

Apurvi Chandela & Elavenil Valarivan in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Qualification 5am

Abhishek Verma & Saurabh Chaudhary in Men’s 10m Air Rifle Qualification 9:30am

Table tennis

Achanta Sharath Kamal & Manika Batra vs Yun Ju Lin & Ching Cheng (Chinese Taipei) in Mixed Doubles Round of 16 8:30am

Manika Batra vs Tin-Tin Ho (Great Britain) in Women’s Singles Round 1 12:15pm

Sutirtha Mukherjee vs Linda Bergstroem (Sweden) in Women’s Singles Round 1 1pm

Tennis

Sumit Nagal vs Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) in Men’s Singles Round 1 7:30am

Weightlifting

Mirabai Chanu in Women’s 49kg 10:20am