Tokyo’s Olympic torch relay ceremony kicked off on Friday, a day after organizers decided to hold the games without spectators.
The Olympic flame arrived in Tokyo on Friday just two weeks before the Games opened, as athletes and fans mourned a “heartbreaking” decision to ban spectators from nearly all venues over the virus.
In a taste of what is to come for the thousands of athletes who will compete in the postponed pandemic Games, the public were kept away from the arrival of the torch and a welcoming ceremony n ‘was followed only by the media and officials.
Outside, a small group of protesters who wanted the Games canceled stood with signs, microphones and trumpets.
The flame will be introduced into a relatively empty stadium with Tokyo on a state of emergency until August 22 amid rising coronavirus infections.
Organizers yesterday agreed to hold the Games without spectators, with Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto saying it was “unfortunate” that the Olympics were being held in a limited format.
She apologized to those who had bought tickets. Officials in Tokyo on Wednesday confirmed 920 new infections, the highest figure since mid-May.
This week, it was also announced that the public will be asked not to congregate to watch the marathon and running races that take place on the streets of the northern island of Hokkaido.
For months, polls showed that many people in Japan wanted the Games canceled or delayed for fear of the virus spreading.
The decision to ban spectators may change public opinion, however, with a recent Asahi newspaper poll showing that 64% of those polled were concerned about the risk of people watching from stadiums.
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