The most troubled Olympics in modern history finally got underway in Tokyo.
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics began in a nearly empty stadium with pink fireworks bursting into the air after countdown.
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.
Naruhito declared the Games open, with fireworks bursting over the stadium after he spoke.
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”.
Most of the national teams walked silently, some socially distanced, others clustering together in ways utterly contrary to organizers' hopes, waving enthusiastically to thousands of empty seats.
It showed how the Covid-19 epidemic struck in 2020, 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.
The Olympics have faced opposition in Japan over fears the global gathering of 11,000 athletes could trigger a super-spreader event.
