Tokyo 2020

It is the longest wait for an Olympic opening ceremony in history, but tomorrow morning my time the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that never looked like happening finally opens.

A year late and stymied by all the regular hosting city controversies of construction, corruption, dodgy resignations of officials and even logo arguments, last year the Tokyo Olympics was taken down by the biggest disease of all.

A year late and still it seems improbable that this next month of competition will actually get off the ground, and that even the 339 medal events which follow will get to be presented on podiums in Tokyo and beyond.

There is I’m sure a lot of nervous people in Japan including 11,500 athletes at the very pinnacle of their chosen sport. Dreams, realistic or otherwise will be realized soon enough, and I truly hope we all get to see it to the finale.

Unlike Euro 2020 that one year later went off successfully in front of crowded stadiums, Japan’s Olympic venues will remain ghost like. Like so many previous incarnations in Olympic cities that are left pot less and sad.

The difference being that at least those stadiums are rich in memories and cheering and clapping. Just 900 officials will witness the opening ceremony tomorrow in the 68,000 national stadium.

I have long loved the Olympics Games, and everything it stands for. My daughter is very excited and we were only just watching the softball, which like the football has kicked off already.

We were lucky enough to be in Rio for the 2016 Olympics, which gave us so many memories. I also love Japan, a country rich in tradition, pride and possibilities.

It won’t be the same, but it is still the Olympics and I will be glued to it. Let the game’s begin.

Here is my Travelogues of 10 days at Rio 2016:

Day 1; Day 2; Day 3; Day 4; Day 5; Day 6; Day 7; Day 8; Day 9; Day 10.

Photo taken at the beach volleyball on the Copacabana Beach.