Sania Mirza, Naomi Osaka to be part of five-day virtual summer festival

New Delhi, July 16: Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza will be part of the virtual "Summer Festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences", starting July 24.

With the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 postponed until 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Airbnb, will bring the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics online with a curated program of activities hosted by athletes for the first time.

Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time zones, the lineup will showcase a variety of "interactive online experiences that guests can book on Airbnb".

These online experiences include, "a glimpse into quarantine training with Osaka", a Grand Slam inspired training regime with Sania, scenic training ride with British triathlete Jonny Brownlee and a session with Olympic gold medallist and three-time World champion track and field sprinter Allyson Felix on returning to sport after motherhood.

"The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and whilst we will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through.

"This festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a media release.

Sania said: "During the experience, I will take guests through a quick functional training, share my training regime and inspire them to strike the perfect balance between wellness of the mind and body, all from the comfort of my home in Hyderabad."

Spectators will also be able to watch select online experiences live on Airbnb and Olympic YouTube channels.