Tokyo Olympics: US presidential delegation to Japan to be led by First Lady Jill Biden

US President Joe Biden on July 20 announced the presidential delegation to the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and informed that it would be led by First Lady Jill Biden. White House in a statement on Tuesday said, “President Joseph R Biden, Jr. today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Japan to attend the Opening Ceremony and events of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games beginning Friday, July 23, 2021. First Lady of the United States Jill Biden will lead the delegation.” 

Meanwhile, Raymond Greene the interim Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Tokyo will be the only other US official who would join Hill Biden at the opening ceremony. Already postponed Tokyo Olympics are set to take place in Japan from July 23 to August 8as the host city remains in a state of emergency amid the surge of COVID-19 cases. The Organising Committee has also recorded over 70 COVID-19 cases among the people related to the Tokyo Games since July 1, out of which, more than 30 are cases among foreign nations. 

WHO to Olympics chiefs: ‘The world is failing’

Meanwhile, as COVID-19 pandemic-delayed Summer Olympics sports programme got underway on July 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Olympics chiefs that “the world is failing.” WHO chief noted that an uneven rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has posed a threat of worsening the crisis. However, he hoped that the Tokyo Olympics 2020 could be a “message of hope” to a world, weary of the global health crisis that began in December 2019. 

"The pandemic is a test the world is failing. More than four million people have died and more continue to die. Already this year the number of deaths is more than double last year's total," Tedros said.

"The threat is not over anywhere until it's over everywhere. Anyone who thinks the pandemic is over is living in a fool's paradise," he added as he spoke without wearing a mask at the International Olympic Committee session held at a luxury hotel in Tokyo. The delegates were masked sitting at socially distanced desks.

IMAGE: AP