Tokyo Olympics 2020: Your Guide to the Much-Awaited Spectacle
-Varun Beri (New Delhi)
After a year’s delay, the 2020 Olympics are all set to take place in Tokyo, Japan. Interestingly, even after the reschedule it still retains the name Tokyo 2020.
The games were postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as stated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Organization Committee (TOCOG), they would be taking place “not later than summer 2021”, which happens to be around the corner.
In total, 186 countries would be participating in the upcoming Summer Olympics. North Macedonia, after the name disputes with Greece, would be making their first appearance in the Summer Olympics under their new name, whereas beforehand they had competed under the provisional name of “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
Russia, after numerous doping allegations and charges by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has been cleared to participate in the Olympics under certain restrictions including competing under the acronym “ROC”, not using Russian flags or anthems, and displaying itself as a “Neutral Team”.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has pumped in JP¥400 billion (around ₹ 266 Arab) into organizing the summer games. Improvements to transport infrastructure have also been made to ease the travel of athletes. Many stadiums and venues have been either newly built for the upcoming game or undergone renovation to improve the facilities.
Over 33 sports are scheduled to take place in 17 days, preceded by the opening ceremony scheduled to take place on Friday, 23rd July 2021. These sporting events will include fan favorites like Swimming, Wrestling, and Archery. Along with the already existing sports, some new games would also be played for the first time at the Olympic games which include karate, surfing, and skateboarding. The closing ceremony which would mark the end of the sporting spectacle would take place on Sunday, 8th August 2021.
Unfortunately, foreign fans would not be able to attend the Olympics in person and will have to settle for watching the games from their televisions. However, many reports suggest local sports fans in Japan might be allowed to attend the events if they can provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.