The Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay Begins as Organizers Hope to Swing Public Opinion in Favor of the Games

Posted On Apr 22, 2021 By admin With Comments Off

TOKYO — The torch relay for the adjourned Tokyo Olympics began its 121 -day journey across Japan on Thursday and is headed toward the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 23.

The relay began in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, the sphere that was devastated by the 2011 shake, tsunami and the meltdown of three fast breeder reactor. About 18,000 died in the tragedy,

The first athlete with the lamp was Azusa Iwashimizu, a leading player in the Japan team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2011.

Decked out in a white-hot trail clothing, she carried the flashlight out of the J-Village indoor soccer training center and was surrounded by 14 other members of the team and coach Norio Sasaki at the rear. They are also among floored out in lily-white track suits.

The ceremony was closed to the public because of the fear of spreading COVID-1 9 but was streamed live.

“The torch of Tokyo 2020 will become a bright light for hope for Japanese citizens and citizens around the world and a dawn at the end of the tunnel, ” said Seiko Hashimoto, the chairmen of the neighbourhood organizing committee and a onetime Olympian herself.

Homare Sawa, the biggest star on the 2011 squad, missed the opening ceremony. She is being treated for a condition feigning her inner ear and had to withdraw from the event.

Local organizers and the International Olympic Committee hope the communicate will turn public opinion in Japan in favor of the Olympics. Affections are presented in tallies in Japan so far are overwhelmingly negative with about 80% hinting another stall or cancellation.

The relay and the Olympics both stir fear that the events could spread the virus. There is also opposition to the soaring cost of staging the Olympics , now put officially at $15.4 billion. Several inspections hint it’s twice that much and a University of Oxford study says these are the most expensive Olympics on record.

Fans was also informed to social-distance along the roadside as the lamp delivers, and they are to refrain from loud applaud. Organizers have said they will stop or reroute the communicate if populace becomes a problem during the four-month parade.

The relay is a very large assessment for the upcoming Olympics with fear among the general public that the contest could spread the virus to rural and more isolated parts of the country. Vaccinations have still not been rolled out yet in Japan to the general public. About 9,000 death toll of “the two countries ” have been attributed to COVID-1 9.

About 10,000 athletes are expected to take part, with the relay touching Japan’s 47 prefectures.

After the postponement a year ago, there was early talk of eliminating the relay to save money. However, that doctrine was quickly threw with the relay heavily sponsored by Coca-Cola and Toyota.

The relay is a prelude to the difficulties the Olympics and Paralympics will present with 15,400 competitors enrolling Japan, along with thousands of other officials, guess, VIPs, media, and broadcasters.

Athletes will be kept in a “bubble” like atmosphere in Tokyo and will be limited to the Athletes Village on Tokyo Bay, the tournament venues and training courses provinces. Most others will be outside the bubble and will be kept at a distance from the athletes.

Organizers announced a few weeks ago that supporters from abroad will be banned from attending the Olympics and Paralympics. Most volunteers from abroad have also been ruled out.

Organizers are to announce the venue capacities in April. Ticket revenue for the Olympics was to be $ 800 million but will be severely reduced by the lack of supporters. Japanese government entities will have to make up the shortfall.