A year later than expected, Japan has finally kicked off its Olympic torch relay.

Athletes will now carry the flame across all of the country to arrive in Tokyo for the opening ceremony on 23 July.

The global pandemic forced the Games to be postponed from last year to this, and the torch relay had to go under way without any fans cheering at the sides.

Besides, international fans will not be permitted at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, organisers on March 20 said.

Japanese authorities told the Olympic and Paralympic committees it was "highly unlikely that entry" to the country could be guaranteed.

Organisers said the move would help ensure "a safe and secure Games for all participants and the Japanese public".

The Games are due to begin on 23 July. The Paralympics follow the Olympics a month later, from 24 August.

Organiser said they had made the move to bar overseas spectators "in order to give clarity to ticket holders", who will be refunded.

They added that the "challenging" Covid-19 situation in Japan and many other countries, global travel restrictions and emergence of variant strains of the virus had led to the decision.

Organisers postponed the Olympics by a year in March last year because of the growing spread of coronavirus across the world.

It is the first time in the event's history it has been postponed, with more than 11,000 athletes from around 200 countries scheduled to take part in 2020.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1639 HRS, MAR 25, 2021
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