24th July, 2020 would have marked the beginning of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer Olympics has been rescheduled to take place nearly specifically one year later. It was to be attended by 68,000 spectators and watched by nearly 4 billion folks on TV screens globally. More than 11,000 athletes from 185 national Olympic committees were imagined to have unbroken sports lover enthralled for the consequent 16 days.
"The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be celebrated from 23 July to 8 August 2021," the IOC (International Olympic Committee) said. It added that the Paralympic Games will follow, running from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5. Despite the rescheduling, the consequent games will be referred to as the Tokyo 2020 Games, IOC declared. Sports such as skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate will be introduced as Olympic sport from this year onwards. This year marks the first time an Olympics has been postponed; the games were suspended three times due to World War I and World War II. The Olympic flame that recently reached Japan once being lit in Greece will stay in Japan till games are held. Tokyo Olympics venues that would have been jam-choked with the world’s prime athletes and supporters except for the coronavirus pandemic are now being unsealed for use by sporting federations and the public.
Japan organised a subdued commemoration on the eve of 23rd July to mark one year till the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee have even released a video at the Olympic Stadium to mark one year to go until the exact moment the Opening Ceremony will be held for the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The video contained messages of support for all athletes about to participate at next year’s Games, appreciating the efforts of the athletes who are presently aspiring to adjust to the ‘new normal’. It also expressed appreciation for all the frontline workers who are providing medical aid and welfare work during the vexed times.
Japanese swimmer IKEE Rikako, who had been fighting against leukemia (Ikee, 20, was free from hospital in December 2019 once prying 10 months of treatment.), shared an ardent support and summoned us to take a step forward towards next year’s opening day. “Imagine the world in a year: a world where the curtain is set to rise on the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
For the 2nd time, the one-year countdown to the 2020 Olympics was set in motion around Tokyo. Thanks to the pandemic-enforced delay, it’s currently the longest-marketed Games with a full host of unprecedented challenges.
International Olympic Committee’s recently appointed director of digital engagement, Christopher Carroll has come up with new marketing strategies to keep the spirits of the players and viewers high. Alongside the assistance of his team, he implemented the use of social media platforms like Instagram Live to emotionally attach people to the sports stars by sharing their at-home workouts to locked-down public to get fit. Other apps like Twitter has been operating personalised Olympic Flame emojis and torch lighting ceremonies. Even Tik Tok has done plenty of youth attracting works.
"Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel.", IOC President Thomas Bach said.
The bill for the Games had come to more than 1.35 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) before the postponement. The International Olympic Committee has estimated the postponement will cost it $800 million while Japan has yet to give an estimate on how much the postponement will price the country. Despite the misfortune and gloomy situation, Japanese and Olympic officials haven’t wavered from the message that the games can proceed. "They will be the first worldwide gathering after the coronavirus", he insisted last week.
But if the pandemic isn’t in restrain by the next year then the prospect of the first peace-time cancellation of the Olympic games has been raised by officials such as Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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