Tokyo Olympics: How different will be the games during the pandemic?

Though the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will take place on Friday, July 23 after one-year delay, the event is already underway with a women's softball tournament. Currently, Australia and Japan are competing with each other before a nearly empty Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium. With no spectators allowed inside the stadium due to the COVID-19 situation, here's how the game is going to look like

Tokyo Olympic to be different compared to earlier Olympics

The Tokyo 2020 games are being held during a pandemic and so along with local crowds, the tourists are also banned from coming to the event. Tough rules have been set in place to make sure that COVID-19 infections are kept in check. The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will not be an extravagant one, unlike the earlier events. This year's ceremony will be more about paying tribute to the millions killed in the coronavirus pandemic.

Athletes will not be able to kiss their medal as they will have to keep wearing the mask on the podium. They will have to keep themselves away from other athletes by a distance of two meters.  Japanese tourism was expected to get a boost due to people coming to watch the Olympic games. However, it has taken a hit since tourists will not be able to enter the country. Around 68,500 athletes, coaches, backroom staff, officials, IOC members, media and broadcasters will be at the event.

For athletes, the Olympic 2020 games will be a tougher proposition as they will be tested daily for coronavirus. Participants will be kept in their accommodation, with sightseeing forbidden and athletes required to leave the Olympic Village 48 hours after they finish competing in their repective event. Hugs, handshakes and high-fives are all discouraged. The organisers are still planning to hand out 160,000 condoms to athletes, who will be asked to use it once they go back to their respective countries. The condoms will not be provided to them until they are leaving. At Tokyo 2020, athletes, media and other officials who break the virus rules could face disqualification from the Games or even deportation from Japan.

Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony

The Tokyo 2020 opening Ceremony the event will be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Viewers in India who want to catch the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony can watch the coverage from 4:30 pm IST on 23rd July. Coming to the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony performers, there has been no clear update so far.

Image: AP