Athens: Greece handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers on Thursday at an event which was 'significantly scaled-down' due to coronavirus pandemic.
-
The Olympic flame is on its way to #Tokyo2020 🔥
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 19, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Tokyo Organizing committee representative Naoko Imoto has received the flame and it will now be transported to Miyagi prefecture in a specially designed #Tokyo2020 lantern. 🇯🇵#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/963rIXeGtQ
">The Olympic flame is on its way to #Tokyo2020 🔥
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 19, 2020
Tokyo Organizing committee representative Naoko Imoto has received the flame and it will now be transported to Miyagi prefecture in a specially designed #Tokyo2020 lantern. 🇯🇵#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/963rIXeGtQThe Olympic flame is on its way to #Tokyo2020 🔥
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 19, 2020
Tokyo Organizing committee representative Naoko Imoto has received the flame and it will now be transported to Miyagi prefecture in a specially designed #Tokyo2020 lantern. 🇯🇵#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/963rIXeGtQ
The ceremony, which took place at Athens' iconic Panathenaic stadium, did not include the planned cultural ceremonies from Greece or Japan.
Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos handed the torch over to the Tokyo Organising committee represented by Naoko Imoto, who lit the lantern and left with it.
"We bid farewell to this great Olympic symbol, which brings together humanity, antiquity and modern times. I wish to believe that the journey of the Olympic flame in your country will offer joy and hope to the people of the whole world, who are currently in pain and challenged," the Olympic's official website quoted Capralos as saying.
-
Hello world. <3 https://t.co/kraHqzgY3y
— Olympic Flame (@OlympicFlame) March 12, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Hello world. <3 https://t.co/kraHqzgY3y
— Olympic Flame (@OlympicFlame) March 12, 2020Hello world. <3 https://t.co/kraHqzgY3y
— Olympic Flame (@OlympicFlame) March 12, 2020
The Tokyo Olympic games are slated to be held from July 24 to August 9. However, many athletes raised concern over the quadrennial event taking place despite the spread of the deadly virus.
Earlier on Wednesday, four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent suggested that the Tokyo Olympics should be called off due to the coronavirus outbreak.
-
I’m sorry Mr Bach but this is tone deaf. The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers etc Keep them safe. Call it off. https://t.co/nKnEEiVku1
— Matthew Pinsent (@matthewcpinsent) March 18, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">I’m sorry Mr Bach but this is tone deaf. The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers etc Keep them safe. Call it off. https://t.co/nKnEEiVku1
— Matthew Pinsent (@matthewcpinsent) March 18, 2020I’m sorry Mr Bach but this is tone deaf. The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers etc Keep them safe. Call it off. https://t.co/nKnEEiVku1
— Matthew Pinsent (@matthewcpinsent) March 18, 2020
"I am sorry Mr Bach but this is tone-deaf. The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey government instructions to lockdown) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators and organisers. Keep them safe. Call it off," Pinsent tweeted.
