Hachimura Asked To Be The Flag Bearer Of Japan During The Olympic Opening Ceremony

Rui Hachimura (Instagram @ rui_8mura)

JAKARTA - Tokyo Olympics chief said NBA star Rui Hachimura will be Japan's flag bearer at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony although fans may not be allowed into stadiums to watch the event.

The Washington Wizards forward will carry the Japanese flag alongside two-time world wrestling champion Yui Sukaki on July 23, after the Olympics were postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But given the growing public concern about rising COVID-19 cases, organizers may need to rethink attendance limits at the opening events of the Olympics to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.

On Monday, the Tokyo Olympics chief said he would delay the announcement of the results of the excess opening event ticket draw until Saturday, less than two weeks before the ceremony.

23-year-old Hachimura, whose father is Beninic and whose mother is Japanese, said carrying his country's flag was a great honour.

"I want this to be an opportunity for the children and everyone in Japan to see me and my teammates perform at the Olympics, and be more interested in basketball and the sport as a whole," Hachimura said in a statement. .

In May, Hachimura denounced racism on social media, and he said he received racist messages on an almost daily basis.

The schedule for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics has been kept secret, but local media reported the event will last half an hour longer to allow for COVID-19 precautions, such as social distancing.

However, it is still unclear how many seats will be able to be filled by spectators at the national stadium during the opening ceremony.

Previously, the organizers had set a limit of 10,000 domestic spectators or half of the capacity of each stadium.

But Olympic President Seiko Hashimoto warned last Friday about the possibility of holding the Games without spectators, both domestic and overseas.

The COVID-19 outbreak in Japan is not as severe as in some other countries, with a death toll of 14,800 people. But experts say the next wave could add to the busyness of medical services as the Games kick off.

Media reports on Monday said it was likely the government this week would extend virus precautions in Tokyo and elsewhere, pending a decision on attendance at each Olympic game.

The current limit of 5,000 spectators per game is likely to be changed, according to the report. No more tickets will be for sale and spectators from abroad have been banned from attending.

Olympic athletes began arriving in Tokyo, and on Sunday, July 4, a Serbian rower tested positive for coronavirus at the airport.

In addition, a member of the Ugandan team also tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time, after being sent home after the quarantine period.

On Sunday, a 53-year-old woman was arrested for spraying a runner at the Olympic torch relay with a water gun.

The woman who sprayed an unknown liquid on a passing runner carrying a torch admitted openly that she was against hosting the Olympics.