Naomi Osaka lights flame as Tokyo’s ‘games of hope’ open

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka on Friday, July 23, lit the Olympic cauldron to mark the formal start of Tokyo 2020, in an opening ceremony shorn of glitz and overshadowed by a pandemic but celebrated as a moment of global hope.

"With the world in a tough situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, I would like to pay my respect and express my gratitude to medical workers and all those who are working hard every day to overcome the difficulties," said the president of the organizing committee, Seiko Hashimoto. Members of the Canada delegation wore patches in the color of the rainbow, the symbol of the LGBT community, on their jackets. US first lady Jill Biden clapped the Americans as did France President Emmanuel Macron for the French team.

A vastly smaller number of athletes marched in the teams' parade, with many flying in just before their competitions and due to leave shortly after to avoid infections. The opening recapped Japan's path to the Games and the challenges the world has faced since the selection of the Japanese capital as host in 2013.

"Today is a moment of hope. Yes it is very different from what all of us imagined. But finally we are all here together," said Bach in the opening speech.

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