Naomi Osaka, Sania Mirza to be a part of five-day virtual summer festival

Indian tennis champion Sania Mirza and two time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka will take part in the virtual “Summer Festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences” which will start from July 24.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all sporting events are on a halt, with the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, also suspended till 2021.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and Airbnb will bring the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics online with a curated program of activities hosted by athletes for the first time.

Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time zones, the lineup will showcase a variety of “interactive online experiences that guests can book on Airbnb”.

These online experiences include, “a glimpse into quarantine training with Osaka”, a Grand Slam inspired training regime with Sania, scenic training ride with British triathlete Jonny Brownlee.

Also Read Indian tennis star, Sania Mirza gave her take on Novak’s Adria tour mishap

Also, a session with Olympic gold medallist and three-time World champion track and field sprinter Allyson Felix on returning to the sport after motherhood will also be scheduled.

“The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and whilst we will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a media release.

“This festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer,” he added.

Sania said, “During the experience, I will take guests through a quick functional training, share my training regime and inspire them to strike the perfect balance between the wellness of the mind and body, all from the comfort of my home in Hyderabad.”

Spectators will also be able to watch select online experiences live on Airbnb and Olympic YouTube channels.

Also Read ”Stop bullying the Asian community in regards to COVID”, Naomi Osaka on Trump’s ‘Kung-Flu’ remark