WHO chief backs Tokyo Olympics despite global surge of Delta
World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has given his backing to the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, which begin on Friday despite a global surge of Covid-19 Delta cases and continuing opposition to the Games.
On Wednesday, Tedros said he was confident the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and hosts Japan would ensure the safety of all Olympic participants. The WHO chief made the comments at the 138th IOC meeting presided over by IOC president Thomas Bach in Tokyo and attended by Thailand’s IOC member Khunying Pattama Leesawattrakul.
Postponed from last year because of the pandemic, the Games are being held inside a “bio-bubble” of strict Covid-19 controls with no spectators. However, several Olympic athletes have already tested positive after arriving in Japan, including two South African footballers, a US gymnast and a Czech beach volleyball player.
Opposition to the Games remains high in Japan, where the infection rate has risen above 3,000 cases per day driven by the Delta variant.
Tedros said the Olympic motto should be applied this year to distribution of Covid-19 vaccine. “We must be ‘faster’ in distributing vaccines all over the world. We must aim ‘higher’ in vaccinating 70 per cent of the population of all countries by the middle of next year. We must be ‘stronger’ in removing every barrier that stands in our way to expedite production, and we must do it all together, in solidarity,” he said.
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WHO chief backs Tokyo Olympics despite global surge of Delta
The WHO chief also congratulated athletes participating in the event and praised the IOC and Japan for their efforts in implementing measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 during the Games.
Kunying Pattama
WHO chief backs Tokyo Olympics despite global surge of Delta
Ugandan Olympic athlete arrested in Japan after escape
The Ugandan weightlifter who escaped from the Olympic village in Japan has been arrested.
Ugandan Olympic athlete who escaped in Japan has been arrested by the authorities there, an official said here Tuesday.
Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, told Xinhua that Julius Ssekitoleko, a weightlifter, was arrested on Tuesday after escaping from the Olympic village on July 16.
Ssekitoleko, together with other members, were meant to take a PCR COVID-19 test, but he instead vanished.
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Although Ssekitoleko had initially been considered to make it to the Olympics through a quota system, the International Weightlifting body reviewed the list and Ssekitoleko missed a slot into the Games in the 67kg weight category.
After the world weightlifting body announced that Ssekitoleko could not make it to the Olympics, he and his coach were meant to fly back to Uganda on July 20.
Hamsom Obua, Uganda’s minister of state for sports, said it is good news that Ssekitoleko has been found.
“The athlete will definitely be questioned on why he had to disappear and currently, the Japanese security is handling the matter,” added Obua.
Last month when Uganda’s first batch of athletes traveled to Japan for pre-training, they made headlines when two members tested positive for COVID-19.
Uganda, captained by 2012 London Olympics gold medalist Steven Kiprotich will send 26 athletes to compete in the Games. Uganda qualified athletes in field and track events, boxing, swimming and rowing.
More companies pull out of Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony
More Japanese companies have decided against sending executives to Fridays opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics as concerns about holding the games during the pandemic grow.
Senior officials from Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp., Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp. will skip the event given that organizers decided to hold the games without spectators, spokespeople for the technology giants said Tuesday, a day after Toyota Motor Corp. announced its top executive wouldn’t attend.
Japan’s pledge to hold a safe and secure games is coming under threat as Covid-19 cases jump in Tokyo and visiting athletes test positive for the virus. In a fresh public relations setback, Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada, known as Cornelius, quit the team creating the opening ceremony after acknowledging he bullied school classmates with disabilities years ago.
The games will be the first in modern history to be held without spectators, after Tokyo entered another state of emergency that will run throughout the tournament.
Panasonic Corp. Chief Executive Officer Yuki Kusumi will miss the opening ceremony, although Chairman Kazuhiro Tsuga will attend in his role as vice president of the organizing committee, a spokesperson said.
Meiji Holdings Co. and Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. had already decided executives wouldn’t go, and bosses from Nippon Life Insurance Co. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. will also stay away, representatives said. Toyota President Akio Toyoda will miss the event, the automaker said Monday.
Japanese public support for the Olympics is mixed at best, raising questions over the merits of using the competition for marketing.
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Toyota won’t air local television advertisements during the games, despite being among the global sponsors. Bridgestone Corp. had already decided not to broadcast commercials, a spokesman for the tiremaker said.
NTT plans to run commercials featuring athletes, although it has yet make a final decision. Nomura Holdings Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. plan to continue airing ads, according to spokespeople. Eneos Holdings Inc. is seeking to do the same, although it may change its ad policy depending on the situation, a representative for the petroleum refiner said.
Published : July 21, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Takashi Nakamichi, Yuki Furukawa
Officially, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has fully recognized “Muaythai” and the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) at the 138th IOC meeting in Tokyo. Apart from widely encouraging other member nations to perform Muaythai, this is also the beginning of the possibility of Muaythai to be accepted in the global sporting event, the Olympic Games.
On July 20th, 2021, Mr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), presided over the 138th General Assembly of the International Olympic Committee in Tokyo. KhunyingPatama Leeswatrakul, Member of the International Olympic Committee(IOC) who arrived in Japan on July 13th, also attended the meeting with the other executive committees. For the vital agenda of the General Assembly at the 138th International Olympic Committee, it is the official vote to fully recognize the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA).
This paves the way for the sport to be included in the Olympic Games. Other sports federations provisionally recognized yesterday were the International Cheerleading Union (ICU), The International Sambo Federation (FIAS), The International Federation Icestocksport (IFI), The World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO) and World Lacrosse (WL).
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) was founded with the leading vision of a group of gentlemen who aims to ensures that Muaythai around the world is performed under the same rules. Moreover, there will be a group of ladies joining in shortly. In 2006, Muaythai became an official sport by overwhelming majority vote of the world recognized sports such as FIFA for football, FIBA for basketball or FINA for swimming. Endorsed by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), “Muaythai” became its official name under the supervision of “IFMA”.
In 2012, IFMA announced its intentions to the world community and the Olympic Games where the interim certification was filed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was endorsed in 2016 ensuing the meeting of 54 key criteria in 8 categories. Finally, Muaythai was fully recognized at the General Assembly of the 138th International Olympic Committee, paving the way to push for the sport to be more popular and get approval for being a part of the Olympic Games.
KhunyingPatama Leeswatrakul, Member of the International Olympic Committee(IOC)
General Prawit Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister as the chairman of the subcommittee for driving Muaythai to the Olympics and the sub-committee for driving Muaythai to the Olympics, said that as the IOC has approved Muaythai and IFMA as permanent members, he as the president of the the National Olympic Committee of Thailand along with the Board of Directors, the government, and the Thai people, we are very delighted, honored, and proud.
“I would like to thank IOC President, Thomas Bach, and all the committees for recognizing Muaythai and that I would like to praise IFMA and all members of 146 countries who have been admirably complying with the Olympics rules that we receive trust from the IOC. I assure that the Thai government will fully promote Muaythai and support the operation of IFMA as we have a common goal in encouraging Muaythai into the Olympic Games in the near future,” General Prawit concluded.
Dr. Sakchai Thapsuwan, chairman of IFMA, declared that he would like to express special thanks to IFMA’s International Office leading by Director Charissa Tynan who over the last years has worked to ensure that all our strategic goals have not only been implemented but also documented in our extensive 1000+ page application dossier to showcase to the IOC our strict alignment with the Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5.
General Udomdej Sitabutr, Vice-President of IFMA, said IFMA would like to thank IFMA Executive Committee and Ad-Hoc Management Committee who have contributed to the initial and review application process, to support in the compilation of the application documentation as well. All IFMA stakeholders and athletes from the 146 member countries expressed their sincere gratitude to the IOC, led by IOC President Thomas Bach, for their trust in IFMA. Furthermore, they made special thanks to various agencies of the IOC who provide cooperation and advice throughout the application period.
Vice President of IFMA also expresses deepest appreciation and gratitude to the chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, General Prawit Wongsuwan who is also the chairman of the Muaythai committee, and also General Stephan Fox, the secretary of IFMA and President of AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport) who has achieved historical success in facilitating the recognition of a record six sports from the AIMS family, which notably is the highest number of sports ever to be proposed for full recognition in a single IOC Executive Board meeting.
Timeline of “IFMA” to the IOC recognition 1992 – Founded the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) 2012 – Launched official request for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition 2016 – Received first endorsement 2017 – Muaythai is included in the World Games. 2021 – On June 10, the IOC Board of Directors agreed on the full endorsement of IFMA at the 138th IOC General Assembly in Tokyo. 2021 – On July 20, the IOC General Assembly granted full recognition to the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) and Muaythai
U.S. Olympic gymnast tests positive for COVID-19 in Japan
Teen athlete from U.S. womens gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19 at the teams training camp near Tokyo.
Kara Eaker, an Olympic reserve on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, has tested positive for COVID-19 at a training camp near Tokyo.
Eaker, 18, is the first American Olympian to test positive.
Eaker’s father Mark told media on Monday that his daughter tested positive at the team’s training camp in Inzai, 30 kilometres east of Tokyo, and added she was asymptomatic and had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
“We confirmed today that a teen athlete of the team has tested positive,” said Kimiya Kosaku, an Inzai city official, adding that she had arrived in Japan on July 15.
“Another athlete has been categorised as a close contact and is also staying alone inside her room,” Kosaku said.
Eaker’s personal coach Al Fong also confirmed the positive test on Monday.
The result came after Eaker received what was described as a “false positive” over the weekend. Eaker took a subsequent test that was negative before testing positive again multiple times.
Four alternates, including Eaker, traveled to Japan with the six-woman U.S. Olympic gymnastics team of world and Olympic champion Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee, MyKayla Skinner and Jade Carey.
The alternates have been rooming with other alternates since arriving in Japan, with the competitive team rooming with fellow competitors.
Tokyo Olympics cancelation “never an option,” says Bach
IOC president Thomas Bach declared at the 138th IOC Session on Tuesday that canceling the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was never on the cards.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach reiterated his firm stance in organizing the Tokyo Olympic Games despite the COVID-19 pandemic, saying cancelation of the Games was “never an option.”
“Cancelation was never an option for us: The IOC never abandons the athletes,” declared Bach in his opening speech of the 138th IOC Session here on Tuesday.
“At the beginning of the pandemic outbreak last year, we faced a choice: cancelation or postponement. There was nothing in between. It was either canceling or postponing the Olympic Games.
“Cancelation would have been the easy way for us. But in fact, cancelation was never an option for us,” he said. “Therefore, we took the unprecedented decision to postpone the Olympic Games. The only certainty we had was that rather than cashing in on the insurance, we would have to invest much more to make these Olympic Games possible.”
“There was no blueprint. Nobody had ever done this before.”
Bach said the IOC had therefore set three goals of organizing the postponed Olympic Games, supporting the Olympic community to overcome the crisis and emphasizing the essential role of sport in society.
“The first principle we established was that the Olympic Games need to be safe and secure for everyone. This principle still stands true today,” Bach noted.
He also shed light on the complexity that local organizers faced in moving the Games forward.
“Tens of thousands of contracts had to be reviewed and renewed. The Olympic Village and all 42 sports venues had to be secured. Adjusting staff numbers and adapting tasks in the context of simplified Olympic Games.”
Bach mentioned that everyone here in Tokyo has experienced the COVID-19 countermeasures first-hand, ranging from immigration requirements to testing, social distancing, contact tracing, and many more.
The German also revealed that 85 percent of Olympic village residents and 100 percent of IOC members present in Tokyo have been either vaccinated or are immune.
“We can only look ahead to the opening ceremony of these postponed Olympic Games, because of this unified and powerful support.
“We did it together. We did it for the athletes,” he said.
Bach revealed that to make the postponed Olympic Games happen, the IOC set up a financial envelope of up to 800 million U.S. dollars, including 650 million related to the costs of organizing the postponed Games and 150 million as an aid package for the Olympic Movement to enable everybody to participate in the Games.
Bach also called for confidence and trust in going out of the crisis, highlighting solidarity and digitalization as two examples of the lessons they have learned and are putting into action with Olympic Agenda 2020+5.
“We need more solidarity. More solidarity within societies and more solidarity among societies.
“This digital world comes with great potential and great challenges. We have got a glimpse of this potential during our current digital and marketing campaign for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” he remarked.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reassured that the Olympic village is safe while more personnel infected.
Ahealth advisor for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on COVID-19 countermeasures reassured on Monday that the Olympic village is safe despite more positive cases reported among the Olympics-and-Para Olympics related personnel.
Brian McCloskey, chair of an independent expert panel advising the IOC on COVID-19 countermeasures, told a press conference that individual infections are expected as the related people going through different layers of filtering, however, with all the countermeasures in places, particularly the robust testing measures and quick response of isolation, the infections will not pose risks to others.
The Olympic Village, a complex of apartments and dining areas in Tokyo, will house 6,700 athletes and officials at its peak when the Games get underway on Friday.
According to the Games organizers, 58 positive cases related to the Games, including four athletes, have been reported as of Monday since July 1.
McCloskey gave a firm “yes” when asked if the Olympic village is still safe with the rising number of virus infections.
“We see cases currently having been tested before departure, and they’re not coming…we see people at the airport and they can get filtered there and they can get filtered when they getting to the (Olympic) village,” he said.
“Each layer of filtering as a reduction of risk for anybody else…, and the numbers (of infections) we’re seeing is actually extremely low, and probably lower than we expected to see of anything.”
As to the case of the three members from South Africa’s Olympic football team, including two players, who have tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving at the Tokyo Olympic Village, McCloskey said the positive cases have been transferred to designated hotels to be taken care of, while the close contacts have been isolated.
The South African men’s football team is set to play against the host Japan on July 22, however, whether or not the close contacts of positive cases should be given green light to play fields has been questioned widely.
McCloskey said that focus will be given to reduce the risks as much as possible by making sure the close contacts do not interact with others.
“They will be in individual single room and use individual transport so even if they are infectious and they are not likely to infect others because they are separated,” he said.
He stressed that as required by the safety protocol made the Games organizers, any close contacts to have competitions will be tested six hours prior to start of the competitions, and the result will come through before they are allowed to be on the field of play.
“So there will be nobody test PCR positive on the field of play,” he said.
Photo taken on June 20, 2021 shows the gymnasium inside the Olympic Village for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
U.S. womens gymnastics alternate tests positive for coronavirus in Tokyo
TOKYO – An alternate for the U.S. womens gymnastics team tested positive for the coronavirus, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said Monday. The U.S. team includes six athletes who will compete here, plus four alternates.
Kara Eaker is the gymnast who tested positive, according to her coach and parents, who have confirmed her test result to multiple media outlets. Eaker, an 18-year-old from Grain Valley, Mo., said last month that she had been vaccinated.
“We are just incredibly thankful that we got her vaccinated, because everybody is telling us, all of the medical personnel are telling us, that that’s to her benefit,” Eaker’s mother, Katherine, told a Kansas City television station. “And so, if I say anything to anybody, it’s like, ‘Take this seriously.’ “
The Japanese local government for where the gymnasts trained for a few days after their arrival did not release the name of the gymnast who tested positive but said she is a teenager. The gymnast moved to a hotel to isolate, the USOPC said in a statement. One additional athlete is considered a close contact, and she is quarantining in her room, according to the local government. USA Gymnastics said in a statement that athlete is also an alternate.
The six-member squad, which is headlined by Simone Biles, has not been affected by a positive test or through contact tracing. All athletes will be tested daily, according to the health protocols for the Games. The women’s gymnastics competition in Tokyo begins Sunday with the qualification round. Alternates can replace gymnasts on the team if needed before the competition begins, but the positive test takes Eaker out of consideration.
“I feel bad for her because she’s trained most of her life for this,” Eaker’s father, Mark, said in the television interview. “And there was hope up to this point, even as an alternate. There’s always hope that you might get a chance to compete, so that keeps you going. It keeps you motivated. But now that this result has come back, that hope is gone.”
This is the first known coronavirus case among Team USA athletes who traveled to Tokyo for the Games, which begin later this week. The gymnast tested positive for the virus Sunday, according to USA Gymnastics. The team arrived in Japan three days prior.
“Accordingly, on Monday, the Olympic athletes moved to separate lodging accommodations and a separate training facility, as originally planned, and will continue their preparation for the Games,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “The entire delegation continues to be vigilant and will maintain strict protocols while they are in Tokyo.”
All six of the women’s artistic gymnasts set to represent the United States in Tokyo visited the Olympic Village on Monday evening, according to their social media posts. Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, Grace McCallum and MyKayla Skinner appeared in those photos and videos together. Jade Carey, the sixth member of the squad, posted a picture in the Olympic Village with her father, who is also her coach.
However, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team will stay in a nearby hotel rather than in the Olympic Village, Cecile Landi, the coach of Biles and Chiles, confirmed on Twitter.
“It was also a decision that we all made together,” Landi wrote in a tweet. “We know it isn’t ideal for the Olympic experience but nothing is ideal during a pandemic. We feel like we can control the athletes and our safety better in a hotel setting!”
All four U.S. alternates – Eaker, Kayla DiCello, Emma Malabuyo and Leanne Wong – are teenagers. Wong, 17, said after last month’s Olympic trials that she had not been vaccinated, noting that her parents are scientists. Malabuyo has said she has been vaccinated, and DiCello’s father, Matt, said she has been as well.
Malabuyo and DiCello posted a video of them dancing together in their hotel Monday, indicating that they have not been affected through contact tracing. Wong shared an Instagram story Monday night that said, “Prayers for a speedy recovery for one of our teammates.”
Eaker is set to enroll at the University of Utah this fall, and Coach Tom Farden said in a statement: “We are devastated and heartbroken for Kara as she has worked extremely hard to become a part of Team USA in Tokyo. Unfortunately, the virus is still very present and can affect fully vaccinated individuals. We will support her in any capacity she may need with the many resources we have here at Utah.”
The U.S. squad includes a four-member team – Biles, Chiles, Lee and McCallum – that is heavily favored to win the gold medal, as well as Carey and Skinner, who will compete as individuals.
The six Olympians trained at the same facility as the alternates in recent days before moving to the hotel near the Olympic Village. The athletes were kept in “separate groups” during training, according to a USA Gymnastics spokesperson, but the gymnasts appeared in a photo practicing at the same time, with the team standing a few feet away from the alternates.
Alternates were paired with other alternates as roommates, and team members were kept with other team members. Since the positive test, all gymnasts have their own rooms. As they prepared for the Games, the alternates and the Olympic athletes ate on separate sides of a private dining room. The remaining alternates will now eat in separate rooms, the spokesperson said. The team members and their coaches also sat toward the front of the bus, with alternates and their coaches in the back.
ONE Championship Returns with ONE: BATTLEGROUND on 30 July
ONE Championship (ONE) today announced the full card for ONE: BATTLEGROUND, which will broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 30 July.
In the main event, reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao defends his World Title against Thai phenom Prajanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym. In the co-main event, former two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang takes on Leandro Ataides in a pivotal middleweight clash.
Also featured on the card is a battle of top-ranked featherweight kickboxers, as Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (#4) faces the debuting Tayfun Ozcan (#5). Indian star Ritu Phogat and Singaporean-American prodigy Victoria Lee will also be in action.
ONE is working closely with the relevant government agencies and industry stakeholders to ensure the highest standards of health and safety for the closed-door event. There will be no live audience at this closed-door production.
Sam-A to Defend ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title Against Prajanchai Aung La N Sang, Ritu Phogat, and Victoria Lee Also in Action
ONE: BATTLEGROUND 30 July 2021 Singapore Indoor Stadium
Sam-A to Defend ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title Against Prajanchai Aung La N Sang
ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship (C) Sam-A Gaiyanghadao vs. Prajanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym Strawweight: 52.3 KG – 56.7 KG
Mixed Martial Arts Aung La N Sang vs. Leandro Ataides Middleweight: 84.0 KG – 93.0 KG
Kickboxing Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong vs. Tayfun Ozcan Featherweight: 65.9 KG – 70.3 KG
Mixed Martial Arts Ritu Phogat vs. Lin Heqin Atomweight: 47.7 KG – 52.2 KG
Mixed Martial Arts Chen Rui vs. Jeremy Pacatiw Bantamweight: 61.3 KG – 65.8 KG
Mixed Martial Arts Victoria Lee vs. Wang Luping Atomweight: 47.7 KG – 52.2 KG
ONE: BATTLEGROUND II and ONE: BATTLEGROUND III will also take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, airing on 13 August and 27 August, respectively.
ONE: BATTLEGROUND II features a main event showdown between former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang and Chinese mixed martial arts star Zhang Lipeng, who will be making his ONE debut. In the co-main event, #5-ranked strawweight contender and former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex Silva takes on Miao Li Tao.
ONE: BATTLEGROUND III is headlined by an explosive bantamweight Muay Thai battle between #1-ranked contender Saemapetch Fairtex and Thai superstar Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym. In the co-main event, former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke faces Chinese phenom Banma Duoji.
Two athletes in Tokyo Olympic village test positive for COVID-19
The first COVID-19 cases among competitors residing in the Olympic athletes village were reported on Sunday.
Tokyo Olympic organizers confirmed on Sunday that two athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Olympic village and are now isolated in their rooms.
This came after a non-athlete in the village tested positive for coronavirus earlier on Saturday, and these two confirmed cases are the first among competitors.
At a press conference, Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya said the two athletes are from same country and same sport, and they were isolated as soon as they returned positive tests. No names or other information were provided.
Late on Saturday, Ryu Seung-min, president of the South Korean table tennis association and a former Olympic champion, tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at Narita International Airport, according to his social media post.
Organizers also detailed countermeasures against COVID-19 and Japan’s brutal summer heat, saying that hand sanitizer, alcohol disinfectant sheets and medicated hand soap would be distributed.
Athletes are also asked to maintain social distancing and wear masks, and are offered lounges with air conditioning, water and ice baths. Organizers also provided additional countermeasures for specific sports, such as a water supply for cycling road events and a horse cooling station for equestrian events. Volunteers are to be supplied with salt tablets and cooling items.
To cope with extreme weather conditions, the organizing committee announced it will operate a weather information center at Harumi Triton Headquarters during the Games. All indoor and outdoor venues will be monitored for real-time temperature, humidity, wind speed and heat index, and urgent updates will be sent in the event of incoming typhoons or thunderstorms.
Postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics will open in five days’ time on July 23.