Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan delegations made an awkward entry&nbsp;as the flag bearers of the&nbsp;three contingents did not wear&nbsp;a COVID-19 mask while entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics 2020.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sports/condoms-and-sex-at-tokyo-olympics-awareness-creation-restrictions-and-pushback-400698" hreflang="en">Condoms and sex at Olympics: Awareness creation, restrictions and pushback</a>

Several in Tajikistan's contingent did not wear a mask. The organisers have taken some big measures to curb the virus outbreak. From tweaks in medal ceremonies to no group photos, the organisers have promoted the idea of masks and social distancing, however, walking without masks is contrary to what they hoped.&nbsp;

On Friday, the Games' organising committee announced that 110 people have been infected with the coronavirus as a result of the Games.

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Pakistan Contingent in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> | 🇵🇰 <a href="https://t.co/Wnt74FQgil">pic.twitter.com/Wnt74FQgil</a>
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The coronavirus has been diagnosed in 19 persons, including three who are living at the Olympic Village in the capital's Harumi seaside district.

The daily figure was the highest since the committee began announcing COVID-19 positive cases among persons associated with the Olympics on July 1st.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is determined to hold the Olympics, placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then.

The opening ceremony is being held behind closed doors due to a surge in the infectious virus. The 1,979 new cases reported on Thursday are the most since 2,044 were reported on January 15.

Japan has reported about 853,000 cases and 15,100 deaths since the pandemic began, most of them this year.

Still, the number of cases and deaths as a share of the population are much lower than in many other countries.

Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan delegations made an awkward entry as the flag bearers of the three contingents did not wear a COVID-19 mask while entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan delegations made an awkward entry as the flag bearers of the three contingents did not wear a COVID-19 mask while entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics 2020. ALSO READ: Condoms and sex at Olympics: Awareness creation, restrictions and pushback Several in Tajikistan's contingent did not wear a mask. The organisers have taken some big measures to curb the virus outbreak. From tweaks in medal ceremonies to no group photos, the organisers have promoted the idea of masks and social distancing, however, walking without masks is contrary to what they hoped. On Friday, the Games' organising committee announced that 110 people have been infected with the coronavirus as a result of the Games. Pakistan Contingent in #Olympics | 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/Wnt74FQgil — Mandy. (@MandyHox) July 23, 2021 × The coronavirus has been diagnosed in 19 persons, including three who are living at the Olympic Village in the capital's Harumi seaside district. The daily figure was the highest since the committee began announcing COVID-19 positive cases among persons associated with the Olympics on July 1st. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is determined to hold the Olympics, placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then. The opening ceremony is being held behind closed doors due to a surge in the infectious virus. The 1,979 new cases reported on Thursday are the most since 2,044 were reported on January 15. Japan has reported about 853,000 cases and 15,100 deaths since the pandemic began, most of them this year. Still, the number of cases and deaths as a share of the population are much lower than in many other countries.

Tokyo Olympics: Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony - WATCH

Japanese singer-songwriter Misia gave a splendid performance at the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics. But it is not just her on-stage act that got the world talking about her; she showed up wearing a cotton candy dress!

Japanese singer-songwriter Misia gave a splendid performance at the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics. But it is not just her on-stage act that got the world talking about her; she showed up wearing a cotton candy dress! Yes, the much-appreciated singer sang the Japanese national Anthem—‘ Kimi Ga Yo’—wearing an absolute stunner of an outfit—a rainbow coloured cotton-candy gown. The 43-year-old wore designer Tomo Koizumi—the same designer who made heads turn at the New York Fashion Week Fall 2019 with an extraordinary presentation of rainbow-coloured gowns. Needless to say, Twitter cannot keep it together, too. One user wrote, “ok but can we talk about the dress worn by MISIA at the #Tokyo2020 opening ceremony.” Another added, “misia's gown, i need this #OpeningCeremony.” Check out some of the designer's other works here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by TOMO KOIZUMI (@tomokoizumi) × View this post on Instagram A post shared by TOMO KOIZUMI (@tomokoizumi) × View this post on Instagram A post shared by TOMO KOIZUMI (@tomokoizumi) × View this post on Instagram A post shared by TOMO KOIZUMI (@tomokoizumi) × View this post on Instagram A post shared by TOMO KOIZUMI (@tomokoizumi) ×

Tokyo Olympics: Japanese singer Misia’s cotton candy gown left netizens gasping for breath

At an Olympics opening ceremony overshadowed by the coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 organisers on Friday paid tribute to medical workers as athletes from across the world paraded into an almost empty stadium, their smiles hidden behind masks for the first time.

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> 
 
Normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities, the ceremony was shorn of its glitz, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to "be quiet around the venue." 
 
The organisers also sent the traditional message of peace as global pop stars sang John Lennon and Yoko Ono`s "Imagine," while drones formed the shape of the Olympic emblem in the sky above the stadium and transformed into the shape of the globe. 
 
"With the world in a tough situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, I would like to pay my respect and express my gratitude to medical workers and all those who are working hard every day to overcome the difficulties," said the President of the organising committee, Seiko Hashimoto. 
 
The ceremony approached its climax with a fusion of traditional kabuki theatre - with its elaborate makeup and costumes - and a jazz piano improvisation, on a stage in the shape of Mount Fuji topped with the cauldron for the Olympic flame. 
 
Most countries were represented by both male and female flagbearers in an Olympic first, but not everybody took pandemic measures. Teams from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Pakistan flagbearers paraded maskless in an awkward contrast to protocol and the vast majority of other athletes at the ceremony. 
 
Regardless, it marked 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. 
 
Members of the Canada delegation wore patches in the colour of the rainbow, the symbol of the LGBT community, on their jackets. U.S. first lady Jill Biden clapped the Americans as did France President Emmanuel Macron for the French team. 
 
The Olympic oath, recited by the athletes at the end of the parade, has been updated for the Tokyo Games, with athletes swearing their commitment to inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination for the first time at the Olympics. 
 
OLYMPIC RINGS 
 
The opening also featured fireworks in indigo and white, the colours of the Tokyo 2020 emblem, and gave a nod to Japanese tradition represented by giant wooden Olympic rings linked to the 1964 Games also hosted by Tokyo. 
 
A vastly smaller number of athletes marched in the teams` parade, with many flying in just before their competitions and due to leave shortly after to avoid infections. 
 
Delegations tried their best to liven the mood. Uganda, wearing bright traditional costumes, did a few measures of a dance, while the Argentine delegation jumped up and down on entering. 
 
WITHOUT FANS 
 
Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Olympics without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world. 
 
The opening 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. 
 
The opening video showed how the coronavirus struck in 2020, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were due to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of preparations in isolation for the athletes. 
 
A moment of silence was held "for all those family and friends we have lost," especially to the coronavirus, and mention was made of the Israeli athletes slain at the 1972 Munich Games. 
 
PANDEMIC IMPACT 
 
Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, cheered on the athletes after bowing to each other before sitting down socially distanced. 
 
"Today is a moment of hope. Yes it is very different from what all of us imagined. But finally we are all here together," said Bach in the opening speech. 
 
"You struggled. You persevered. You never gave up. Today you are making your Olympic dreams come true," he said. 
 
Unlike his grandfather who opened the 1964 Games with a Japanese word that means "congratulations," Naruhito opted for a more neutral word in Japanese which is closer to "commemorate". 
 
The ceremony was marked by major absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. Top sponsors also stayed away, highlighting strong opposition to the event in COVID-fatigued Japan. 
 
Hundreds of people protested around the venue yelling “Stop the Olympics”. 
 
Only a third of the host nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event.

At an Olympics opening ceremony overshadowed by the coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 organisers on Friday paid tribute to medical workers as athletes from across the world paraded into an almost empty stadium, their smiles hidden behind masks for the first time.

At an Olympics opening ceremony overshadowed by the coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 organisers on Friday paid tribute to medical workers as athletes from across the world paraded into an almost empty stadium, their smiles hidden behind masks for the first time. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony Normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities, the ceremony was shorn of its glitz, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to "be quiet around the venue." The organisers also sent the traditional message of peace as global pop stars sang John Lennon and Yoko Ono`s "Imagine," while drones formed the shape of the Olympic emblem in the sky above the stadium and transformed into the shape of the globe. "With the world in a tough situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, I would like to pay my respect and express my gratitude to medical workers and all those who are working hard every day to overcome the difficulties," said the President of the organising committee, Seiko Hashimoto. The ceremony approached its climax with a fusion of traditional kabuki theatre - with its elaborate makeup and costumes - and a jazz piano improvisation, on a stage in the shape of Mount Fuji topped with the cauldron for the Olympic flame. Most countries were represented by both male and female flagbearers in an Olympic first, but not everybody took pandemic measures. Teams from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Pakistan flagbearers paraded maskless in an awkward contrast to protocol and the vast majority of other athletes at the ceremony. Regardless, it marked 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. Members of the Canada delegation wore patches in the colour of the rainbow, the symbol of the LGBT community, on their jackets. U.S. first lady Jill Biden clapped the Americans as did France President Emmanuel Macron for the French team. The Olympic oath, recited by the athletes at the end of the parade, has been updated for the Tokyo Games, with athletes swearing their commitment to inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination for the first time at the Olympics. OLYMPIC RINGS The opening also featured fireworks in indigo and white, the colours of the Tokyo 2020 emblem, and gave a nod to Japanese tradition represented by giant wooden Olympic rings linked to the 1964 Games also hosted by Tokyo. A vastly smaller number of athletes marched in the teams` parade, with many flying in just before their competitions and due to leave shortly after to avoid infections. Delegations tried their best to liven the mood. Uganda, wearing bright traditional costumes, did a few measures of a dance, while the Argentine delegation jumped up and down on entering. WITHOUT FANS Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Olympics without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world. The opening 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. The opening video showed how the coronavirus struck in 2020, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were due to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of preparations in isolation for the athletes. A moment of silence was held "for all those family and friends we have lost," especially to the coronavirus, and mention was made of the Israeli athletes slain at the 1972 Munich Games. PANDEMIC IMPACT Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, cheered on the athletes after bowing to each other before sitting down socially distanced. "Today is a moment of hope. Yes it is very different from what all of us imagined. But finally we are all here together," said Bach in the opening speech. "You struggled. You persevered. You never gave up. Today you are making your Olympic dreams come true," he said. Unlike his grandfather who opened the 1964 Games with a Japanese word that means "congratulations," Naruhito opted for a more neutral word in Japanese which is closer to "commemorate". The ceremony was marked by major absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. Top sponsors also stayed away, highlighting strong opposition to the event in COVID-fatigued Japan. Hundreds of people protested around the venue yelling “Stop the Olympics”. Only a third of the host nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event.

Tokyo Olympics: Organisers thank medics at opening ceremony overshadowed by pandemic

The Tokyo Organising Committee stated Thursday that Kentaro Kobayashi, the director of the Olympics opening ceremony, has been removed from his position following news reports concerning his past statements about the Holocaust.

According to Japanese media sites, in a screenplay for his comedy performance in 1998, Kobayashi made light of the Nazis' mass murder of 6 million Jews, stating, "Let's play Holocaust."&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-two-olympic-athletes-test-positive-for-covid-19-say-organisers-399588">Also read | Tokyo Olympics 2020: Two Olympic athletes test positive for COVID-19, say organisers</a> 
 
Kobayashi's remarks drew immediate condemnation, especially from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which criticised what it called anti-Semitic humour by the comedian.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kick-it-right-back-at-them-japan-pm-denies-being-pressurised-to-hold-tokyo-2020-399483">Also read | 'Kick it right back at them': Japan PM denies being pressurised to hold Tokyo 2020</a>

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto told a briefing that Kentaro Kobayashi had been dismissed because of past comments that made fun of a tragedy.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, COVID-19 infections in Tokyo reached a six-month high, with 1,832 new cases reported just two days before the Games began.

Tokyo is currently in its fourth state of emergency, which will remain until August 22 and will span the entirety of the Olympics, which begin on Friday and end on August 8.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Tokyo Organising Committee stated Thursday that Kentaro Kobayashi, the director of the Olympics opening ceremony, has been removed from his position following news reports concerning his past statements about the Holocaust.

The Tokyo Organising Committee stated Thursday that Kentaro Kobayashi, the director of the Olympics opening ceremony, has been removed from his position following news reports concerning his past statements about the Holocaust. According to Japanese media sites, in a screenplay for his comedy performance in 1998, Kobayashi made light of the Nazis' mass murder of 6 million Jews, stating, "Let's play Holocaust." Also read | Tokyo Olympics 2020: Two Olympic athletes test positive for COVID-19, say organisers Kobayashi's remarks drew immediate condemnation, especially from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which criticised what it called anti-Semitic humour by the comedian. Also read | 'Kick it right back at them': Japan PM denies being pressurised to hold Tokyo 2020 Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto told a briefing that Kentaro Kobayashi had been dismissed because of past comments that made fun of a tragedy. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, COVID-19 infections in Tokyo reached a six-month high, with 1,832 new cases reported just two days before the Games began. Tokyo is currently in its fourth state of emergency, which will remain until August 22 and will span the entirety of the Olympics, which begin on Friday and end on August 8. (With inputs from agencies)

Director of Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony ousted over past comments on Holocaust