Daily News: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Latest Updates: As 'Games like no other' appear on horizon, a daily look at noteworthy developments

09:46 (IST)

Will overseas fans get ticket refunds?

Partially, yes. And it is going to be a lot of wait it appears. Tickets bought through brokers, called Authorised Ticket Resellers, will only see refunds to the tune of the face value and shipping costs. Any additional charges will not be refunded. Additionally, one has to apply in advance, on very short notice, by 9 April, to get their refunds in the future.

14:28 (IST)

Olympic torch relay kicks off amid COVID-19 pandemic

The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Olympics began its 121-day journey across Japan on Thursday (25 July) and is headed toward the opening ceremony in Tokyo on 23 July.

The relay began in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, the area that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and the meltdown of three nuclear reactors. About 18,000 died in the tragedy,

The first runner with the torch was Azusa Iwashimizu, a key player in the Japan team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2011.

The ceremony was closed to the public because of the fear of spreading COVID-19 but was streamed live.

11:54 (IST)

Is the torch relay a big deal?

Normally? No. But these are different times. These are COVID-19 times. The relay will highlight how ready or not ready Tokyo is to host the Olympics in four months time. Social distancing, mask-wearing and limited crowds are the rules in place. It is a big deal for the organisers and IOC in order to change public opinion on the Olympics.

13:46 (IST)

Japan spend billions on technology for absent overseas fans

Japan’s top telecommunications company is getting 7.3 billion yen — about $67 million — in taxpayer money to design mobile tracking software to curb the spread of coronavirus infections during the Tokyo Olympics. There's one catch: Few Olympic fans from abroad will be around to use it.

Click here to read the full story

10:34 (IST)

Chief of ceremonies quits over derogatory comments on female comedian

The creative director for Tokyo's Olympic ceremonies will resign after making derogatory comments about a female Japanese comedian, in the latest headache for organisers of the virus-delayed Games.

Hiroshi Sasaki announced his decision after a report late Wednesday revealed he had proposed that popular plus-size entertainer Naomi Watanabe appear at the opening ceremony as a pig.

Click here to read the full story

19:35 (IST)

M Sreesankar qualifies for Games after bettering own national record

Long jumper Murli Sreeshankar on Tuesday qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by bettering his own national record with a leap of 8.26m on the second day of the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships in Patiala.

The Olympic qualification mark in men's long jump event is 8.22m. The 21-year-old Kerala athlete's 8.26m jump came in his fifth attempt as he improved his earlier national record of 8.20m which he had registered in 2018.

Full story: Long jumper Murli Sreeshankar qualifies for Tokyo Olympics with 8.26m leap

15:04 (IST)

Will there be spectators for the torch relay?

No. Organisers announced there will be no spectators to follow along the route to the Tokyo Olympics torch relay. The heavily sponsored relay, however, will be available to stream. "The Grand Start ceremony and the first section of the Fukushima Torch Relay... will not be open to the public, but it will be broadcast live via a Tokyo 2020 official channel," Tokyo 2020 said in a statement.

19:33 (IST)

Memorable milestone for India as CA Bhavani Devi becomes first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for Olympics

Tamil Nadu's CA Bhavani Devi has become the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The sabre fencer secured a spot in the World Cup in Hungary after the hosts lost in the quarter-finals of the team event, allowing South Korea to progress to the semi-final.

Bhavani Devi qualifies through the Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR) Method. Two individual spots were up for grabs for the Asia and Oceania region based on the World Rankings as of 5 April, 2021. She is ranked 45th and occupies one of the two available slots based on the ranking.

The 27-year-old's qualification will be confirmed when the rankings are made official on the aforementioned date.

10:30 (IST)

Will athletes jump the queue in vaccination bid?

A question that wasn't posed to IOC president Thomas Bach by his peers as he announced that vaccinations will be made available to athletes for the Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics & Beijing Winter Games next year. Chinese Olympic Committee have offered to vaccinate the thousands of athletes that would be making the trip to Japan and China. IOC have offered to foot the bill for this process not just in Japan and China but also in athletes' home country. Now that's a shot in the arm for the Olympics - excuse the pun.

00:21 (IST)

LeBron James among 57 NBA players in USA basketball Olympics squad

Two-time Olympic champions LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul were among 57 NBA players named on Thursday by USA Basketball as finalists for the Tokyo Olympic men's basketball squad. The list added 15 players to a group of 42 finalists named in February 2020 who have confirmed interest in trying to bring the Americans a fourth consecutive gold medal and 16th overall next August in Japan.

A final 12-man Olympic roster will be announced later this year.

James, who helped the Los Angeles Lakers win last year's NBA crown, and Paul, with the Phoenix Suns, helped spark the USA to Olympic gold in 2008 at Beijing and 2012 in London.

James, who was also on the US 2004 bronze medal squad, could match Carmelo Anthony as the only four-time US men's basketball Olympians.

READ MORE: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul among 57 NBA players named in USA basketball squad

19:36 (IST)

Any stumble at the Olympic torch relay could sow more doubts about the risk of holding the Olympics in a pandemic. So why are Tokyo 2020 organisers taking this risk?

Tokyo 2020 organisers and the IOC are going ahead with the torch relay because of the large sponsorship deals with Coca-Cola and Toyota. There was talk of doing away with the relay, but that was quickly nixed. The Olympic relay dates back to the 1936 Berlin Games.

Organisers hope this time it will drive enthusiasm for the Olympics. Surveys show about 80% of the Japanese public say the games should be postponed or canceled.

The success of the relay is so important that Toshiro Muto, CEO of the Tokyo organising committee, has been put in charge. Any slip, of course, would raise more questions about risks around the Olympics.

10:28 (IST)

Will international spectators be allowed at the Olympics?

It looks increasingly unlikely that foreign spectators will be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics. Local media quoted government officials as saying that the Summer Games would go ahead but without the influx of international visitors - a step that will impact the Games' and Japan's economic projections. A formal announcement on this regard could be made next week.

02:45 (IST)

Torch relay for Tokyo Olympics 2020 likely to be held without fans, says report

The starting ceremony for this month's Olympic torch relay will likely be held without spectators, a Japanese newspaper reported Tuesday, but fans will still be able to line the route.

The Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported that organisers fear crowding at the 25 March event in Fukushima, and will probably bar the 3,000 spectators initially planned.

Tokyo 2020 organisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, which cited an unnamed source.

15:53 (IST)

Over three-quarters of Japanese don't want foreign fans at Tokyo Games, says survey

More than 75 percent of Japanese oppose overseas fans attending the Tokyo Olympics, a poll showed Monday, as organisers prepare to make a decision on foreign spectators.

The poll, by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily, found that only 18 percent of people who responded were in favour of foreign spectators being allowed into Japan for the coronavirus -delayed Games, with 77 percent against.

Games organisers said last week that they plan to rule on the matter this month, likely before the nationwide torch relay begins on 25 March.

But Japanese media say Games chiefs have already decided to bar foreign fans.

00:58 (IST)

Japan extended the coronavirus emergency for two more weeks for Tokyo area. What does that mean?

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Friday that his government is extending a state of emergency in the Tokyo region for another two weeks because its medical systems are still strained by COVID-19 patients.

The state of emergency, which is a non-binding request, centers around asking restaurants, bars and other businesses to voluntarily close at 8 pm. Japan has never had a mandatory lockdown, but has managed to keep infections relatively low with social distancing and such voluntary measures.

Suga declared a monthlong emergency on 7 January for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba that was later extended through 7 March. An emergency that applied to other urban prefectures was lifted last week, underscoring the government’s eagerness to allow businesses to return to normal as soon as possible.

Suga sought understanding for a two-week extension he said will be the last.

00:24 (IST)

Will Japan allow foreign fans at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics?

Tokyo Olympics organisers will decide this month whether to allow overseas fans, the Games president said on Wednesday, while the number of spectators allowed in venues will be set by April.

Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto told reporters that the safety of Japanese citizens "is the priority", after holding talks with top officials from the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, the Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan government.

The meeting came as a local media report claimed Japanese authorities are planning to hold the Games without overseas fans, although Hashimoto said a decision would come later this month, ideally before the delayed torch relay begins on 25 March.

"We really need to think long and hard about mutant strains of the virus," she said.

18:07 (IST)

12 women appointed into Tokyo 2020 executive board

The Tokyo Olympics made a symbolic gesture toward gender equality on Tuesday by appointing 12 women to the body’s executive board. The board will now have 19 women among its 45 members, or 42 percent.

To accommodate the new women, the size of the board was increased from 35 to 45. Several resignations on Tuesday also created more space.

16:42 (IST)

USA begin men's basketball campaign against France

Chasing a fourth straight gold medal and 16th overall, the USA men's basketball team begin their Tokyo 2020 campaign against France at the Saitama Stadium — north of the Japanese capital — on 25 July, three days after the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

The American women's team, on the other hand, begin their quest for a seventh consecutive gold, and ninth overall, against Nigeria on 27 July. The women's competition is slated to start a day earlier with South Korea taking on Spain.

13:10 (IST)

Will foreign spectators be allowed?

IOC chief Thomas Bach expects a decision only by May. "The ticketing programme has to be organised, the logistics have to be taken into consideration," said Bach. "It's about immigration rules and so on, so I would say, maybe April, early May, we would have to take this decision."

Meanwhile, IOC sports director Christophe Dubi said there may be two separate decisions over the attendance of foreign fans and Japanese supporters.

Read more

10:38 (IST)

Is Olympic torch relay happening?

Yes, it is.

Despite persistent concerns about the safety of holding the Games this summer, organisers say the massive event can go ahead and the torch relay will kick off as planned on 25 March.

Spectators will be allowed to line the route when the Olympic flame begins its delayed relay across Japan next month, organisers said on 25 February, but cheering will be strictly banned.

The torch relay was scrapped just days before it was due to kick off last year when Japanese and Olympic officials took the unprecedented decision to postpone Tokyo 2020 over the coronavirus pandemic.

03:20 (IST)

Will Indian athletes be vaccinated before they fly out for Tokyo?

Yes! India's sports minister Kiren Rijuju has said earlier this month that all Indian athletes who will compete at Tokyo 2020 will be vaccinated before leaving the country.

On the same day, sports secretary Ravi Mittal said that athletes headed to Tokyo will receive vaccination before the Games. “They will all be vaccinated before they go for the Olympics, whoever goes. We will also take into account the time between two doses and everything else,” said Mittal.

The Indian Olympic Association has also written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, requesting him to consider vaccinating the Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes on a priority basis to give them sufficient time before leaving for the Games.

02:46 (IST)

Will athletes travelling to Tokyo for the Olympics/Paralympics be required to be vaccinated?

No! IOC President Thomas Bach has said that it will not be mandatory for athletes travelling to Tokyo for the Games to be vaccinated. In fact, none of the scenarios the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers have considered in planning for the deferred Games involve vaccines being widely available.

Bach has also spoken out against athletes jumping to the head of the queue for vaccines. He has said that IOC was of the opinion that the first priority for vaccines should be doctors and medical professionals, high-risk groups, ‘people in need’, and those ‘keeping our societies alive’.

01:35 (IST)

What can athletes expect the new normal to be at the Olympics and Paralympics?

No socialising, no handshakes and definitely no hugs — that's what athletes at the coronavirus -postponed Tokyo Olympics can expect this summer, according to a virus rulebook released on Tuesday by organisers.

The 33-page document — the last in a series of "playbooks" drawn up in a bid to ensure the Games can go ahead safely — also warns athletes they could be kicked out of their events if they break strict anti-virus rules, as per a report by Agence France-Presse.

Under the guidelines, athletes will be tested for the virus at least once every four days, and will be barred from competing if they return a confirmed positive test.

Their time in Japan will be "minimised to reduce the risk of infection," and those staying at the Olympic Village will be expected to "avoid unnecessary forms of physical contact."

01:28 (IST)

Welcome to our liveblog in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics. 150 days are all that remain before the deferred Tokyo Olympics will begin with a muted Opening Ceremony in the capital of Japan.

These Olympics promise to be unlike any other. Tokyo 2020 was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even after several vaccines have arrived on the horizon, the shadow of the virus will loom over the Games.

This liveblog will help you keep track of the latest development as an unprecedented Games appear on the horizon.

In January this month, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland wrote a letter to Team USA athletes preparing for Tokyo Olympics.

“Our expectation today is that the Games will go forward,” Hirshland wrote. “They will look and feel different than any previous Games, as we will all be asked to continue to make sacrifices and adaptations to protect the health of our community.”

As the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics grow larger on the horizon, adaptation and sacrifice will become the motto for an Olympics and Paralympics like no other.

Deferred by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which brought all sporting action to a grinding halt for over half a year in 2020, the Olympics will start with a muted Opening Ceremony on 23 July.

With just 115 days left on the clock for the Games, there are as many questions as answers. How frequently will athletes be tested? What happens when an athlete tests positive?

The IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers have sought to clarify some doubts and allay fears about a cancellation. The IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers have tried to answer some of these questions, and allay fears of cancellation of the Games, by releasing four ‘Playbooks’ for different stakeholders of the Games. Two more versions of the Playbooks are expected, which will break down in minutiae what athletes, fans, National Olympic Committees and Federations can expect.

As of now, the Playbooks suggest that athletes will be asked to come to Tokyo only five days before their events, and leave within 48 hours of their events ending. Other measures will prohibit athletes from socialising, shaking hands or hugging others. Under the guidelines, athletes will be tested for the virus at least once every four days, and will be barred from competing if they return a confirmed positive test.

Meanwhile, fans, should they be allowed in arenas, will be asked not to cheer loudly, and stay masked at all times when in arenas.

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Daily News

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Tokyo Olympics 2020 Latest Updates: As 'Games like no other' appear on horizon, a daily look at noteworthy developments

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