Olympics athletes allowed to remove masks during podium moment
TOKYO: Athletes must wear masks at all Tokyo Olympic Games venues including medal ceremonies, the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday, but under a new policy they are briefly allowed to remove them on the podium for a photo opportunity.
Algerian judo player suspended for withdrawing against Israeli opponent
TOKYO: The International Judo Federation suspended an Algerian judoka and his coach for withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics before his event started, after the draw set him on course for a match against an Israeli. Fethi Nourine and his coach
Tennis star Osaka lights flame as COVID-hit Tokyo Olympics open
TOKYO: Japan’s global superstar Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of Tokyo 2020, in an opening ceremony overshadowed by a pandemic but defined by hope, tradition and gestures of diversity. Postponed by a year due to
Coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics torch relay begins
TOKYO: The Tokyo Olympics torch relay kicked off on Thursday, a year late and without spectators, marking a major step towards the start of the games on July 23 this year. The rose-gold, cherry blossom-shaped Olympic torch was lit at
International spectators barred from Tokyo Olympics
TOKYO: International spectators will not be allowed to enter Japan for this summer’s Olympic Games amid public concerns over coronavirus, setting the stage for a drastically scaled-back event. Around 600,000 Olympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded, as
50-year-old man fools people as a young woman biker in Japan
Anything seems possible in the era of fast-paced technology after a popular Japanese ‘female’ motorbike rider turned out to be a 50-year-old man. Hailing from Tokyo, a man named Zonguu who uses the username ‘azusagakuyuki’ on Twitter had been gaining
Bach re-elected as IOC chief, promises ‘safe, secure’ Tokyo Olympics
GENEVA: International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach promised to deliver a “safe, secure” Tokyo Olympics this year as he was re-elected for a second term. As he opened the IOC Session, Bach said it was no longer a question of
Usman Khan aims to represent Pakistan in Tokyo Olympics
Usman Khan is the first Pakistani to qualify for Olympics in the equestrian category but needs support to represent his country in the event. Usman is ranked No 1 in Africa and Middle East Group ranking and No 2 in
Tokyo Stock Exchange resumes after outage debacle
TOKYO: The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) resumed normal trading on Friday, with the main index holding steady a day after the worst-ever outage brought the world’s third-largest equity market to a standstill. The glitch was the result of a hardware
Only one quarter of Japanese want Tokyo Olympics next year
TOKYO: A new poll shows that just one in four people in Japan want to see the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games held next year, with most backing either further delay or cancellation. Only 23.9 percent of respondents in the three-day nationwide
Tokyo Olympics would be cancelled if not held in 2021: IOC chief
LONDON: International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach has said the Tokyo Games would have to be scrapped if the event cannot be held next year due to the coronavirus crisis. In March, the IOC and Japanese government took the
Olympics will be cancelled if COVID-19 not over: Yoshiro Mori
OSAKA: Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori has expressed a concern that the delayed Olympics will have to be cancelled if the coronavirus pandemic is not contained by next year. The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games,
World’s oldest man dies in Japan at 112
TOKYO: A Japanese man recently named the world’s oldest living male has died aged 112. Chitetsu Watanabe, who was born on March 5, 1907 in Niigata, north of Tokyo, died on Sunday at his nursing home in the same prefecture.
Rouhani seeks support for Iran economy on Japan visit
TOKYO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sought economic support from Tokyo as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan on Saturday. Rouhani’s trip to Japan is the first by an Iranian head of state in two decades. This comes
Japanese PM opens Tokyo 2020 National Stadium
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the completion of the National Stadium built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday. The stadium, built at a cost of 156.9 billion yen ($1.44 billion), will have a capacity of 68,000 when
Citizenship law: Japanese PM delays trip to India due to protests
NEW DELHI: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delayed his official trip to India which was scheduled on Sunday due to protests over a controversial citizenship law. Shinzo Abe canceled a trip to Assam that was scheduled for Sunday to