Tokyo 2020 Olympics: how will Japanese fans watch events, now that spectators are banned?
- Many Japanese had their hopes of seeing Olympic events live or at fan zones dashed. TV sales have shot up as they plan to view at home instead
- As Covid-19 cases surge, Tokyo officials have asked bars and restaurants to close at 8pm – but some plan to ignore that as they struggle to stay afloat
The first men’s street skateboard heats start at 9am on Sunday and the medal positions will be decided in the afternoon, but 17-year-old Shigeno will not be there to see his heroes make their moves.
“We were not lucky enough to get tickets, but I was still planning to go to the stadium with some friends to see if we could see some famous skateboarders,” he said. “It would have been good to at least feel like we were part of the event and to be with other fans.”
With spectators banned from events, coronavirus infections continuing to rise in Tokyo, and soaring temperatures and humidity, Shigeno and his friends have settled on an alternative plan.
“I’m going to a friend’s house on Sunday morning and a group of about 10 of us are going to watch it,” he said. “It won’t be the same as being there, of course, and there will not be the atmosphere that you get at competitions, but it’s the best we can do.
“And on the positive side, we will be able to see the slow-motion replays and it won’t be too hot,” he said.
A number of events have already commenced ahead of the official opening ceremony on Friday evening, with television coverage showing empty stadiums for football and softball matches on Wednesday and Thursday – a far cry from the full venues that a global audience is used to seeing at the Olympics.