THE Olympics like no other opened here on Friday sans the customary razzmatazz, the toned-down ceremony showcasing Japan’s grandeur, rich culture and heritage while reflecting the sombre mood of a world ravaged by an unrelenting pandemic.

Japanese emperor Naruhito declared the Games open, a month after voicing concerns over the possible spread of coronavirus during the Olympics, becoming the third member from his family to do the honours.

A total of 19 Indian athletes, including flag-bearers iconic boxer MC Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, besides six officials, participated in the ceremony. The country has a 228-strong delegation in Tokyo, including over 120 athletes.

Around 950 VIPs and world leaders were in attendance inside the arena that has a capacity of 68,000. Despite the ban on crowd, the stadium was occupied by over 10,000 individuals performing different roles. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach acknowledged that it will be different from the ones in the past.

“Today, the Olympic athletes are sending a resounding message of hope to our fragile world. The Opening Ceremony will highlight this Olympic message of resilience, solidarity and unity of all humankind in overcoming the pandemic,” Bach said.

“The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are a light at the end of this dark tunnel.”

He added, “Today is a moment of hope. Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined. But let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together.”

Although there were no spectators inside the Olympic Stadium, there were fireworks and music, from famous Japanese video games, to which each of the competing nations walked in, led by Greece, home of the Ancient Olympic Games, with host nation Japan entering the stadium last.

‘United by Emotion’ was the theme of the evening which opened with a countdown video dating back to the time when Tokyo won the bid to host the Games in 2013 before persevering through a year of postponement due to the pandemic.

It was followed by a 20-second indigo and white fireworks display, highlighting the colours of the Tokyo 2020 emblem and shaped like a fan, which is an auspicious symbol in Japanese culture.

Olympic rings made from the wood of trees planted from seeds brought to the country the last time it hosted the Olympics in 1964 were formed