Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony: Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not attend the Olympics opening ceremony, according to a report by public broadcaster NHK.
The report, citing sources close to the former premier, said Abe decided to not attend the event after the government declared a state of emergency and virus restrictions over Tokyo
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony: No Indian athlete to participate in the Opening Ceremony who has event on the next day: Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony – India at Tokyo Olympics:
The participation of Indian athletes in the Olympic Games opening ceremony will be kept to a “bare minimum” in view of the COVID-19 threat, while only six officials from the contingent will be allowed to take part in the event on Friday. The athletes who have competitions lined up for the next day will be discouraged from attending the event, the country’s deputy chef-de-mission Prem Kumar Verma told PTI on Wednesday.
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony: No Indian athlete to participate in the Opening Ceremony who has event on the next day
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general Rajeev Mehta, who is in the city, said not many will be there keeping in mind the risk of infection.
“We will try to have a bare minimum group out there. Kam se kam athletes ko utara jaega. The chef de mission and the deputy chef de mission will decide on the numbers tomorrow but our view is that the bare minimum should attend to ensure their safety in this crucial period,” Mehta told PTI.
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India is being represented by more than 120 athletes in the Games with the overall contingent size being 228, including officials, coaches, other support staff an alternate athletes in view of the COVID-19. “Six officials (from every country) are allowed at the ceremony but there is no cap on athletes.
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony – India at Tokyo Olympics: However, we have advised the athletes who have events the next day to skip the ceremony and focus on their game,” Verma said after a meeting of the chef-de-missions here but did not specify which officials from India will be there at the event.
“The ceremony is likely to last till midnight so it is better that they rest for their events the following day,” he added.
The likes of 10m air pistol shooters Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma, Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan, who have events on the first competition day, will skip the ceremony along with Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Deepak Kumar and Divyansh Singh Panwar will be shooting on the second day.
The Indian team has eight rifle, five pistol and two skeet shooters, besides six coaches and a physiotherapist in Tokyo. Before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Indian shooters consistently dominated the sport, finishing on top of the table in four ISSF World Cups, in 2019.
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