Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-highlights-top-moments-of-the-opening-ceremony-399834" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony</a>

Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Games without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world.

Even the opening ceremony, normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities was eerily silent, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on the spectators to "be quiet around the venue."

Regardless, it marks a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the globe and at various stages of the pandemic tuning in to watch the start of the greatest show in sport.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-pakistan-and-two-other-countries-make-awkward-entry-in-opening-ceremony-watch-400139">Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony- WATCH</a>&nbsp;

Indigo and white are the colours of Tokyo's Olympic emblem.

The opening video featured at the stadium 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.

It showed how in 2020 the coronavirus struck, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were supposed to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of uncertainty and preparations in isolation for the athletes.

Some of them are expected to use the ceremony to make statements about equality and justice and several nations will be represented by a man and a woman after the organisers changed their rules to allow two flagbearers.

ECHO OF '64

Japan had billed the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;as an echo of the 1964 Tokyo Games, which marked the country's return to the world stage after its devastating World War Two defeat, but this time showcasing its recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.

Shortly before the fireworks, the opening video turned into the live action shot of the stadium where a lone female athlete placed her hand on the ground over a single seed.

She then slowly stood up with her shadow stretching out in the shape of a seedling, underscoring the Games' theme of rebirth after the pandemic as well as Japan's reconstruction after the 2011 disasters.

In the segment highlighting the impact of the pandemic on the athletes and people around the world unable to see the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;in person, the organisers showed a lone female athlete, Japanese boxer nurse Arisa Tsubata https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-tokyo-boxer-wider-image-idUSKBN2CT32I, training in the darkness, running silently on a treadmill.

Dozens of dancers moved about while projection mappings showed connections between them, highlighting how people around the world, including the athletes, have formed fresh connections online during the lockdown.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, entered the stadium and bowed to each other before sitting down socially distanced.

The Japanese flag was carried into the stadium by six people, one a rescue worker dressed in her gray uniform in contrast to the red and white uniforms sported by the others, who included former Olympians such as Sydney 2000 marathon winner Naoko Takahashi.

NO-FRILLS OPENING

The opening is taking place without the usual mass choreography, huge props and cornucopia of dancers, actors and lights associated with past celebrations.

A vastly smaller number of athletes will march in the teams' parade, with many planning to fly in just before their competitions and leave shortly after to avoid infections.

Only 15 global leaders are in attendance, along with Emperor Naruhito, who will formally open the Games as his grandfather Hirohito did in 1964, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden.

The ceremony is marked by high-profile absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. A number of top sponsors and economic leaders will also stay away, highlighting strong opposition to the sporting extravaganza in COVID-fatigued Japan.

Hundreds of protesters carrying placards that read “Lives over&nbsp;Olympics” protested around the venue. The protesters, a mix of people in white surgical masks, yelled “Stop the&nbsp;Olympics” as they marched.

Only a third of the nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event. More than 100 people involved with the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;have already tested positive.

The&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;have been hit by a string of scandals, including the exit of senior officials over derogatory comments about women, jokes about the Holocaust and bullying.

The Games run until Aug. 8.

About 11,000 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees are expected, along with a team of refugee athletes competing under the Olympic flag.

Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the Olympics on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the Olympics on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Games without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world. Even the opening ceremony, normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities was eerily silent, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on the spectators to "be quiet around the venue." Regardless, it marks a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the globe and at various stages of the pandemic tuning in to watch the start of the greatest show in sport. ALSO READ: Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony- WATCH Indigo and white are the colours of Tokyo's Olympic emblem. The opening video featured at the stadium 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. It showed how in 2020 the coronavirus struck, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were supposed to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of uncertainty and preparations in isolation for the athletes. Some of them are expected to use the ceremony to make statements about equality and justice and several nations will be represented by a man and a woman after the organisers changed their rules to allow two flagbearers. ECHO OF '64 Japan had billed the Olympics as an echo of the 1964 Tokyo Games, which marked the country's return to the world stage after its devastating World War Two defeat, but this time showcasing its recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Shortly before the fireworks, the opening video turned into the live action shot of the stadium where a lone female athlete placed her hand on the ground over a single seed. She then slowly stood up with her shadow stretching out in the shape of a seedling, underscoring the Games' theme of rebirth after the pandemic as well as Japan's reconstruction after the 2011 disasters. In the segment highlighting the impact of the pandemic on the athletes and people around the world unable to see the Olympics in person, the organisers showed a lone female athlete, Japanese boxer nurse Arisa Tsubata https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-tokyo-boxer-wider-image-idUSKBN2CT32I, training in the darkness, running silently on a treadmill. Dozens of dancers moved about while projection mappings showed connections between them, highlighting how people around the world, including the athletes, have formed fresh connections online during the lockdown. Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, entered the stadium and bowed to each other before sitting down socially distanced. The Japanese flag was carried into the stadium by six people, one a rescue worker dressed in her gray uniform in contrast to the red and white uniforms sported by the others, who included former Olympians such as Sydney 2000 marathon winner Naoko Takahashi. NO-FRILLS OPENING The opening is taking place without the usual mass choreography, huge props and cornucopia of dancers, actors and lights associated with past celebrations. A vastly smaller number of athletes will march in the teams' parade, with many planning to fly in just before their competitions and leave shortly after to avoid infections. Only 15 global leaders are in attendance, along with Emperor Naruhito, who will formally open the Games as his grandfather Hirohito did in 1964, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden. The ceremony is marked by high-profile absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. A number of top sponsors and economic leaders will also stay away, highlighting strong opposition to the sporting extravaganza in COVID-fatigued Japan. Hundreds of protesters carrying placards that read “Lives over Olympics” protested around the venue. The protesters, a mix of people in white surgical masks, yelled “Stop the Olympics” as they marched. Only a third of the nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event. More than 100 people involved with the Olympics have already tested positive. The Olympics have been hit by a string of scandals, including the exit of senior officials over derogatory comments about women, jokes about the Holocaust and bullying. The Games run until Aug. 8. About 11,000 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees are expected, along with a team of refugee athletes competing under the Olympic flag.

Olympics-Fireworks get Tokyo's no-frills opening ceremony underway

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio&#39;s Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. 
 
A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. 
 
&quot;We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village,&quot; Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government&#39;s Olympic account. 
 
&quot;They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday,&quot; he said. 
 
This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. 
 
However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting &quot;fantastic&quot; progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. 
 
Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America&#39;s first Games. 
 
Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. 
 
Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put &quot;a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home.&quot; 
 
Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio&#39;s transformation by telling him to &quot;move.&quot; 
 
&#39;Get stuck in&#39; 
 
Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. 
 
&quot;Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean,&quot; the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. 
 
During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, &quot;water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was &#39;shorting&#39; in the electrical wiring.&quot; 
 
Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she&#39;d seen in five Games. 
 
However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been &quot;fantastic progress today.&quot; 
 
&quot;The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They&#39;ve been working very hard, they&#39;re very skilled and we&#39;re very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday,&quot; she said. 
 
Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. 
 
The head of Argentina&#39;s Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, &quot;two are not habitable&quot; and that his team had sought alternative lodging. 
 
&quot;The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity,&quot; he said. &quot;Rio said it will finish this, but we can&#39;t take any risk.&quot; 
 
Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico&#39;s team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. 
 
New Zealand&#39;s team said Monday that it was &quot;disappointed the Village wasn&#39;t as ready as it might have been,&quot; but that its advance party had overcome the problems. 
 
&quot;Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done,&quot; a statement said. 
 
(AFP)

Australian Olympic delegation had refused to move into an apartment complex in Rio, complaining of blocked toilets and exposed wiring

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio's Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. "We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village," Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government's Olympic account. "They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday," he said. This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting "fantastic" progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America's first Games. Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put "a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home." Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio's transformation by telling him to "move." 'Get stuck in' Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean," the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, "water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was 'shorting' in the electrical wiring." Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she'd seen in five Games. However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been "fantastic progress today." "The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They've been working very hard, they're very skilled and we're very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday," she said. Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. The head of Argentina's Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, "two are not habitable" and that his team had sought alternative lodging. "The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity," he said. "Rio said it will finish this, but we can't take any risk." Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico's team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. New Zealand's team said Monday that it was "disappointed the Village wasn't as ready as it might have been," but that its advance party had overcome the problems. "Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done," a statement said. (AFP)

Rio organising committee promise repairs of Olympic Village by end of week

Australian athletes briefly had to evacuate their apartments yesterday after a small fire in the troubled Rio Olympics Village. 
 
The Australian delegation, preparing to compete in the Games that start August 5 in Rio de Janeiro, went into the street until given the all clear. No one was hurt and there was no serious damage. 
 
&quot;There has been a small fire in the basement of the team building in the Olympic Village. All athletes and staff were evacuated and are fine,&quot; the team said in a Tweet. 
 
Team spokesman Mike Tancred told AFP &quot;there was a lot of smoke and we had to evacuate. The fire fighters came, it was controlled and we returned.&quot; 
 
&quot;There was no big drama,&quot; he said. 
 
Tancred did not know the cause of the fire. The Australian team initially refused to move into its Village accommodations last weekend, citing shoddy conditions, including blocked toilets and dangerous wiring. 
 
Workers have been fixing the defects all week and the Australian team chief, Kitty Chiller, has said the site is now in good shape. 
 
(AFP)

There was no serious damage and no one was hurt in the incident. The cause of fire was unknown

Australian athletes briefly had to evacuate their apartments yesterday after a small fire in the troubled Rio Olympics Village. The Australian delegation, preparing to compete in the Games that start August 5 in Rio de Janeiro, went into the street until given the all clear. No one was hurt and there was no serious damage. "There has been a small fire in the basement of the team building in the Olympic Village. All athletes and staff were evacuated and are fine," the team said in a Tweet. Team spokesman Mike Tancred told AFP "there was a lot of smoke and we had to evacuate. The fire fighters came, it was controlled and we returned." "There was no big drama," he said. Tancred did not know the cause of the fire. The Australian team initially refused to move into its Village accommodations last weekend, citing shoddy conditions, including blocked toilets and dangerous wiring. Workers have been fixing the defects all week and the Australian team chief, Kitty Chiller, has said the site is now in good shape. (AFP)

Small Olympic Village fire forces Australia evacuation