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Tokyo 2020: Mary Kom, Manpreet hold tri-colour flag high

The country has fielded a 228-strong delegation in Tokyo, including over 120 athletes, the highest-ever in Games' history.

India at Tokyo

Bengaluru, July 23: Six-time boxing world champion MC Mary Kom and men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh held the tri-colour flag high at the Japanese capital as a total of 19 Indian athletes besides six officials, took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

The country has fielded a 228-strong delegation in Tokyo, including over 120 athletes, the highest-ever in Games' history, reports PTI news agency.

The event was a far cry from the glamorous ceremonies of London 2012 and Rio 2016 involving thousands of performers in packed stadiums, but it stayed in tune with the unprecedented times.

The Games began without the customary glamour and glitz as the opening ceremony was a low-key affair due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show began with a video of geometric shapes drawn on a blackboard in chalk. A hand-drawn animation set them into motion, and the shapes gradually turned into the National Stadium.

Tokyo 2020: Games open without fanfare Tokyo 2020: Games open without fanfare

In the field of play, a lone female athlete stood at its centre, her hand placed on the ground while feeling the presence of the seed. As she slowly stood, her shadow stretched out in the shape of a seedling.

With the Games being held in the wake of an unprecedented health crisis that tested the world, the strength of the athletes is portrayed in a video that counts down the final moments until the start of the ceremony.

The final second of the countdown was a bird's-eye view of the Tokyo National Stadium, which resembled a zero when seen from above. When the countdown hit zero, a fireworks display began that lasted for approximately 20 seconds, the colours of which were indigo and white -- the colours of the Tokyo 2020 emblem -- and shaped like a fan, which is an auspicious symbol in Japanese culture.

The two big screens inside the stadium outlined the COVID-19 counter-measures which have been implemented to ensure the Games goes ahead without any hiccups.

There was a lot of focus on unity in diversity, peace and solidarity during the ceremony, with the message 'you may be apart, but not alone', to the athletes who have for long trained in isolation because of the fear of contracting the COVID virus.

In the second segment, the protagonist was a lone female athlete, training in the darkness, running silently on a treadmill, paying a tribute to the many solitary athletes training all over the world. The Japanese emperor Naruhito and Bach were then introduced. The Japanese flag was carried out by eight children, four eminent athletes of the country, a person wiwith an impairment and health care professionals in recognition of their relentless service during the pandemic.

The theme of the ceremony was unitedly moving forward despite the challenges thrown at the world.

The Games will go on till August 8.

Story first published: Friday, July 23, 2021, 19:24 [IST]
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