Opening ceremony of 2020 Tokyo Olympics has began on Friday in a nearly empty stadium after a year-long pandemic postponement and a build-up marred by scandal and controversy.
The ceremony is taking place without spectators in front of several hundred dignitaries including Emperor Naruhito of Japan, French President Emmanuel Macron and US First Lady, Jill Biden.
Olympics began with a four-hour extravaganza of flag-waving, parades, music, lights and cultural celebration that culminates with the lighting of Olympic cauldron.
During the opening ceremonies, athletes march into the venue according to the alphabetical order of the host nation’s language. Greece, the originators of Olympic Games, always starts, and the refugee Olympic team came second.
After those delegations, Iceland’s athletes arrived and the parade proceeded in alphabetical order. According to organizers, 207 Olympic teams will take part in the Ceremonies.
United States will be the third-to-last delegation to march, followed by France and then Japan. The host nation is always last in the Parade of Nations.
Of about 11,000 athletes in Tokyo competing, only 5,700 march in the parade of nations for various reasons. Many — including the U.S. women’s soccer team — are preparing for events.
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Athletes to compete on Saturday often don’t participate in the Friday night opening ceremonies.
The first events of the Games have already begun with the group stage of the football tournaments.
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Following the ban on international fans, millions around the world are now tuned in to see the Olympic opening ceremony this afternoon, which has become embroiled in controversy after the director was forced out just one day before the event.
Kentaro Kobayashi was dismissed over past comments that “ridiculed the painful facts of history,” according to Tokyo 2020 organisers, which were in fact anti-Semitic comments made during a 1998 comedy act about Holocaust.
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Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada, who has composed the music for the opening and closing ceremonies, has also stepped down amid allegations of previous bullying behaviour resurfaced.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, athletes from 200 countries parade in an almost empty stadium, in front of around 1,000 officials and dignitaries, rather than 68,000 fans.
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In addition to this afternoon’s ceremony, there will also be qualifiers in the archery and rowing competitions.
See some videos from the opening ceremony below;
Some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history
Get ready, it’s almost Opening Ceremony time!#Tokyo2020 #TeamGB pic.twitter.com/3J3BhBCHCr
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 23, 2021
Here they are
#TeamIndia at the #OpeningCeremony of #Tokyo2020 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/8K49eWliqF
— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) July 23, 2021
#Tokyo2020 has begun! pic.twitter.com/eHL8XIXCiW
— TmarTn (@TmarTn) July 23, 2021
Entrance of the @RefugeesOlympic Team in the stadium during the #Tokyo2020 opening ceremony.
We wish them success and we think of all refugees and displaced people around the world for whom they are a sign of hope! pic.twitter.com/CjhfB6Ajdl
— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) July 23, 2021
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