Whenever the world’s best athletes meet to participate in the Olympics after four years, they do much more than competing in their various sports. This is also the time to explore and familiarize themselves with the hosting town, interact with others, make new friends, as well as enjoy the cheers from their fans. However, this year, the Olympics was not the same old fun we know.
All games whether playing automaty online at ggbet casino or in a physical destination should be exciting. Unfortunately, athletes had to do without many Olympic traditions according to the COVID pandemic forces organizers. Empty stadiums, online interactions, and DIY medal presentations are some of the things the Olympics looked different this year.
COVID: The Real Competition
The Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing globally. This means that all events held worldwide have to adhere to strict guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. As a result, the events will no longer be as exciting as we are used to. This has led to some media labelling the Tokyo Olympics as the “no fun Olympics”.
Most people think that the event should not be held at all since it would not be as thrilling as before. According to an Ipsos global survey, only 46% of respondents out of 28 countries were interested in the Olympics. Moreover, only 38% of Japanese support the games being held while the others think that it is not a good idea.
The main worry is that the Olympics event will result in more COVID cases, which will then spread faster throughout the city, leaving it in a state of emergency. Mind you there are three athletes who have tested positive for the virus even before the competition, resulting in worries, not only in Tokyo but the rest of the world.
The No-Fun Olympics
So, how is Olympics 2021 supposed to be not enjoyable at all? For starters, major sponsors have been shying from the event. For instance, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it would not be airing any Olympic-themed adverts. Also, its top officials were not present at the opening ceremony. Secondly, journalists were not allowed to interview the athletes closely and get to know them, and know their personal stories. Instead, this was replaced by video conference interviews, which was not any fun.
In short, everything that does not relate to participating in sports was online. Even the fans were not present in the stadium. Only 1000 VIPs were expected to go to the event, leaving about 68,000 seats empty. As for the fans, they could stream live to watch the Olympics.
Besides, the organizers were depending on technology to create a connection between the fans and the athletes. Enthusiasts can post video selfies for five seconds, which will show on the giant screens in the stadium. They can also click on “Cheer” to applaud the athletes.
What was really weird during the 2021 Olympics, is that the winners did not have anyone to place the medals on their necks. Instead, the medals were positioned on a tray, in which the top players took and hung them around their necks. Even though the Olympics were very different, one thing was likely to remain normal. That was the opening ceremony, which included familiar things like musical performances from top artists and the Parade of Nations.