It is less than 24 hours until the opening of the XXXII TOKYO 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS!

At the Olympic Stadium, in the capital of Japan, tomorrow, July 23, starting at 20:00 local time in Japan (GMT + 9), or 13:00 Central European Time, the opening ceremony of the Games will begin.

The Olympic Games are the only truly global, multi-sport, international competition in the world, a place where the world’s best athletes compete demonstrating the Olympic spirit and the Olympic values on which the Olympic Movement is based.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are in many ways a special edition. The Games will be held in the circumstances of a coronavirus pandemic - an obstacle far greater than anything the Olympic Movement has ever encountered. For that reason, a modest ceremony of taking over the Olympic Torch was organized, which arrived in Tokyo on July 9, two weeks before the opening of the Olympic Games, and which was taken over by the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike. Although the ceremony and the way of carrying the Olympic torch were changed in relation to the original plan, it is a symbol of hope for all participants, the world sports family and the global society.

Due to all the circumstances, the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has prepared ceremonies that will demonstrate to the world the unity and strength of the sport. "We want these ceremonies to be a series of moments that give each of us the strength to look to the future, and which also serve as an opportunity to create a better world together," said the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo Olympics with sincere gratitude for the immense support and efforts of all enabled the holding of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The concept of the Ceremony, held under the slogan "United by Emotion", aims to show viewers the universality of sport as an invaluable treasure that we believe has the power to unite the world through emotions - even though we are separated, speak different languages or come from different cultures. .

Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will consist of a number of events, including an art program, a parade of athletes, the lighting of the Olympic flame and the symbolic release of the Peace Doves.

More than 11,000 athletes from over 200 countries are expected to attend the opening ceremony in Tokyo. However, unlike in previous years, there will be no viewers of the general public. The Japan Olympic Committee recently announced that the Games will not allow spectators after the country declared a new state of emergency in the city due to COVID-19.

The ceremonial parade of 205 delegations traditionally begins with the departure of the Greek delegation, followed by the parade of the delegation of the Olympic team of refugees, and the last in a row will be the delegation of the host of the Games - the Olympic team of Japan.

Certainly, these Games will show that our strength lies in togetherness, and while the whole world follows the biggest sports show behind the "small screens", let us be guided by the motto of the Olympic Movement

CITIUS ALTIUS FORTIUS – TOGETHER!

Text source “Tokyo 2020” Official Website https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/ceremonies/

Photography: IOC webpage www.olympic.org