With just four days until the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the world’s best athletes are starting to arrive in the Games Village of the host nation.
Guyana’s contingent will be among them.
According to Garfield Wiltshire, Guyana’s chef de mission of the sojourn, Table Tennis player, Chelsea Edghill along with her Coach, Idi Lewis and Physiotherapist/COVID-Liaison Officer, Angelica Holder have already arrived.
Wilthsire, who also served as the chef de mission at Rio 2016, then disclosed that “the swimmers who are at a training camp in Tachikawa, Japan will arrive in the Village later today July 19, Keevin Allicock and coach, Sebert Blake will arrive tomorrow and the athletics contingent arrive on July 23.”
Boxer, Allicock (52-57kg), Swimmers, Aleka Persaud (50m freestyle) and Andrew Fowler (100m freestyle), Track and Field athletes, Aliyah (400m) and Jasmine Abrams (100m) and Emanuel Archibald (100m) along with Edghill are the seven Olympians who earned the distinction of representing the Golden Arrowhead at The Games of the XXXII Olympiad.
Quizzed about the impending performances of the athletes, Wiltshire said “I am sure the athletes will give of their best regardless of the outcome of their respective disciplines.”
Wiltshire who arrived in Japan Saturday, was asked about the differences so far of the event which had an unprecedented year-long delay due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
He stated that “The main difference between any of the other Games that I have been Chef-de-Mission is the wearing of the masks and all other associated protocols that have to be followed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.”
He then added “It is too early now to determine any other major difference between these Games and others such as Rio 2016.”
During the 16 days of the Games which will be held without spectators, athletes from the 200 plus International Olympic Committee members will be competing in excess of 40 disciplines and over 300 events to determine the world’s fastest, strongest and best.
Five sports – baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing – are featuring for the first time ever, while some – including basketball – include new events.
More than 11,000 athletes will compete in the Summer Olympic Games to be hosted in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. These Summer Games mark the second time Tokyo has hosted the Olympics. The 1964 Games were also held there, the first time the Olympics were staged in an Asian country.
