Tokyo Olympic Video games opening ceremony takes place in entrance of zero followers with Staff GB bearing flags as protests happen outdoors Japan Nationwide Stadium

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics formally started on Friday with its opening ceremony.

Taking part nations, together with Staff GB the place Hannah Mills and rower Mohamed Sbihi have been the flagbearers, waved to a near-empty Japan Nationwide Stadium, which might maintain as much as 68,000 spectators.

Nevertheless, as a result of coronavirus pandemic, which delayed the Video games by a 12 months, solely 950 VIPS and world leaders have been in attendance.

The opening ceremony was historically marked by a number of performers with projection know-how including brilliant colors across the stadium.

And, in fact, an enormous firework show added to the sense of event, whereas organisers selected to not use enhanced crowd noises inside the sector.

There was a second of silence to pay tribute to the victims of COVID-19 as dancers representing Japanese woodworkers carried out on stage.

Afterwards, a number of countries and athletes entered whereas bearing flags.

The opening ceremony had been marred by one in every of its administrators, Kantaro Kobayashi, resigning on Thursday after video footage emerged of him mocking the Holocaust.

Regardless of suspending the Video games for a 12 months, instances are presently rising in Japan with fears the Olympics will result in extra infections.

On Friday, Tokyo reported 1,358 coronavirus instances, its highest day by day quantity since January.

In the course of the opening ceremony, protests to cease the Video games amid the pandemic occurred outdoors the stadium with somebody shouting, ‘cease the Olympics now’ by a megaphone.

There have even been stories claiming Olympians have been unable to have their day by day COVID checks as a result of lack of accessible kits on the Tokyo Athletes’ Village.

Japanese outlet NHK reported the nation’s males’s gymnastics group, together with different abroad opponents, had no PCR checks to take.

To date, at the very least 13 athletes have examined constructive for coronavirus in Japan.

Though Friday marked the opening ceremony, quite a lot of occasions have taken place already.

Staff GB ladies’s soccer group already have their marketing campaign off to a powerful begin.

Hege Riise’s facet beat Chile 2-Zero due to Ellen White’s double on Wednesday with Staff GB topping Group E following Canada’s 1-1 draw with Japan.