In a new setback for the Tokyo Olympics officials, all relays of the Olympic Torch have been cancelled in Tokyo. Starting Friday all public relays will be cancelled and private flame lighting ceremonies will be held instead. Only the remote leg in Ogasawara islands, south of Tokyo, will go ahead said Olympic officials to BBC.
The nation wide relay has been doomed since the beginning, facing problems since it first began, and almost half the legs in the route have been disrupted. Kyoto and Hiroshima have cancelled plans for the Olympic relay torch to pass through.
Opposition from public to cancel the Tokyo Olympics
There has been recent opposition from public to cancel the Tokyo Olympics, due to the rising spread of Covid 19 pandemic and the strain on the medical system. In a recent video that went viral, a Japanese woman attempted to blow out the flame of the Olympic torch by squirting water on it, and was later arrested by authorities.
The 53-year-old was stopped by officials while she shouted, “No Olympics. Stop the games.” The Tokyo Olympics are all set to begin on the 23rd of July, and the pressure on the IOC and Japan is high to make sure the Olympics are carried out in a safe and secure manner.
Also read: Tokyo Olympics: Organising Committee Relaxes Covid Test Requirement Protocols for Indian Athletes
