Subdued opening for Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO, Japan – Don’t expect a lot of fanfare or an event of extreme grandiose when the Games of the 32nd Olympiad opens at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, at 8 p.m. tonight – 7 a.m. local time in The Bahamas.

Over the next two weeks, over 11,000 athletes will be contesting 339 events in 33 sports and 50 sporting disciplines in the world’s most populous city, but one would never tell based on the event’s audience here in Tokyo.

The government of Japan has implemented a state of emergency in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and there will be no fans in the stands. That’s just one of the severe restrictive measures that are in place to protect the athletes, coaches, team officials, the media and patrons of the Olympic Games from the deadly coronavirus COVID-19.

As for the opening ceremony tonight, there is no special cultural extravaganza or grand show of pomp and pageantry under the lights that is planned.

Instead, the millions of viewers around the world can expect a subdued celebration of global sport taking place under safety and social distancing protocols in the midst of a pandemic that has wreaked havoc around the world. That’s the reality, to the point where this global event is known in some circles as the COVID Olympics.

To Japan’s credit, quite a bit is being done in preventative measures. As a journalist, I was required to have two negative COVID RT-PCR test results on arrival in Tokyo and had to take another one at the airport.

Visitors are tested everyday for the first three days in Tokyo and are quarantined in their hotel rooms and lodgings for the first three days.

Numbers are still on the rise though. A handful of athletes have tested positive and Toshiro Muto, the head of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) has not ruled out canceling the Olympics if COVID cases continues to spike.

Marco Balich, longtime opening ceremonies executive producer and now a senior advisor to the Tokyo ceremonies executive producer, told Reuters Sports that the show tonight will be a “sobering” reminder of the reality of COVID-19.

“It’s very Japanese but also in sync with the sentiment of today, the reality. It will be a sobering ceremony, nevertheless with beautiful Japanese aesthetics,” he said. “We have to do our best to complete this unique and hopefully the only one of its kind Olympics.”

Already a year beyond its initial host date, the Tokyo Olympics will be held under the shadow of COVID-19, but the world is hungry for sport and competition, and athletes are eager to show off their talents on a global stage.

Out of the thousands of athletes and officials here in Tokyo, there are minimal COVID-19 infections. Other athletes and officials won’t fly in until right before their scheduled events and functions and leave shortly afterwards.

There is widespread concern among the public in Japan over the safety of holding the global sporting spectacle as many Japanese fear the Olympics could turn into a super-spreader event.

As for Team Bahamas, officials remain optimistic, looking forward to a grand showing from the 16-member team. The two swimmers, Joanna Evans and Izaak Bastian, will be up first in competition for Team Bahamas with competition set to get underway on Saturday evening.

“Well only two athletes are here for us at the moment and they have settled in nicely,” said Team Bahamas’ Chef de Mission Cora Hepburn. “This is the first time in Olympic history we have two flag bearers, a female and a male – Joanna Evans and Donald Thomas.

“The two swimmers, Joanna and Izaak, have been preparing since their arrival on the 18th. I had a chat with both swimmers today and they are in high spirits and ready to go. I simply asked them to give me their best, and they are prepared to do that. We’re looking forward to a great showing.”

The majority of athletes associated with the Tokyo Olympics are expected to arrive here in the Japanese capital this weekend and prepare for competition next week.

Hepburn, the first female chef de mission of a Bahamian Olympic team, said despite the uproar over COVID-19, she expects these Olympics to be one of the best ever and for there to be exceptional performances.

The show gets underway tonight and competition begins tomorrow.

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