With any Olympic Games, you get the feel of them already at the airport. The Japanese capital, sweltering in the summer heat, is no exception.
Local air harbors have been ‘outsourced' to the Olympic Games organizers. Cheerful volunteers and public hygiene workers meet athletes, journalists and functionaries as soon as they touch down in the Japanese capital. Despite the severity of the anti-Covid measures, they are sympathetic and eager to help you without creating too much hassle as you go through checkpoints to get documents checked and tested for COVID-19. It is impossible to bypass them. The most nervous moment is waiting for the result of a COVID test in one of the halls of the airport transformed for the needs of healthcare.
Athletes who are medically cleared get a pass to this exciting sporting event. If the test results are positive, athletes are taken to a special hotel for treatment. Japanese treat visitors with great care and respect.
By the way, it is not a secret that not all local residents are enthusiastic about the Olympics. Social media are full of angry posts blaming the government, accusing officials of indifference and unwillingness to take care of the health of Japanese people. They say foreigners will pass the infection to everyone.
Yet, tensions are not running high offline. In the run-up to the Olympics, large-scale manifestations of discontent are not visible. It seems that skeptics have just reconciled themselves to the fact that Tokyo is going to host the Olympic Games. Anti-COVID measures are very strict. Coronavirus tests have already become part of the large-scale event and Tokyo visitors recognize their importance. Safety first!
Japanese are exceptionally friendly. Here everyone is eager to help, and feel down if their attempt to do good fails. This attitude of the Games hosts cheers up athletes, coaches and also journalists. They happily chronicle almost every step on the Japanese soil, and promptly share their impressions with friends and loved ones in social networks. The country known for its technological advances has no difficulties with access to the internet.
Despite huge losses and expenses due to the decision to hold the Games behind closed doors, without fans, everyone can feel the scale of the event. Local world-class sports venues, some of which date back to 1964 when Japan hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the first time, have been upgraded into comfortable and high-tech facilities. It is a pity that stands of most of them will be empty, due to the decision of the Japanese government. The Japanese know how to support athletes and usually do this with all their heart.
Despite the absence of fans, athletes are determined to put up their best performances, making their fans happy with new records and medals.
We hope that Belarusian fans will also have more than enough reasons to feel happy for Belarusian Olympians and that Team Belarus will show their competitive spirit and will to win.
