In Pics: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Opening Ceremony

The first few minutes of the opening ceremony has been distinctly different from other times. A much more sober tone, fitting in with the nearly empty stadium and the prevailing pandemic, is the order of the hour. The Japanese anthem rings out in the stadium. A speech commemmorating lives lost to the pandemic begins before a tribute to those who had to lose their lives during the Olympics.

Arisa Tsubata was depicted as the lone woman on the treadmill during the opening ceremony. She is a nurse and a midweight boxer who became a champion just after a couple of years of taking up the sport. She worked in the frontline as a nurse during the pandemic. She took a pay cut to work in a smaller clinic. Her dreams of of making it to the Olympics was shattered after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cancelled the boxing qualifier due to take place in June and alloted spots to athletes based on their world rankings in recent years.

Japan emperor Naruhito was welcomed inside the National Stadium along with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach along with other dignitaries.

The fireworks go off at the Olympic Stadium. The show begins inside the stadium. A video showing athletes training at home during the coronavirus pandemic started the show, with pink fireworks bursting into the air after a countdown.

Greece first country to enter the Olympic Stadium at the during the athletes parade

Japan officially opens its floor for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

For the second time in its history, the Olympic Games welcome the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.