Prime Minister Narendra Modi was snapped catching "a few glimpses" of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday. The Prime Minister was seen cheering the Indian contingent while watching the ceremony on television.
"Wishing our dynamic contingent the very best," he tweeted.
Come, let us all #Cheer4India!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2021
Caught a few glimpses of the @Tokyo2020 Opening Ceremony.
Wishing our dynamic contingent the very best. #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/iYqrrhTgk0
The Tokyo Olympics began at the nearly empty Japan National Stadium after a year-long delay due to the pandemic situation. The event lacked the usual glitz with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to "be quiet around the venue."
Athletes from all over the world paraded into the Olympic stadium to represent their nations, for the first time their smiles hidden behind masks.
India is being represented by its largest ever contingent of over 120 athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, which also includes the highest female representation of 56 sportspersons.
𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑨𝑨𝑨 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑨! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/FscLKoTvid
— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) July 23, 2021
A video showing athletes training at home during the coronavirus pandemic started the show, with pink fireworks bursting into the air after a countdown.
The ceremony in the 68,000-capacity stadium is taking place before just a few hundred officials and dignitaries, including Japan's Emperor Naruhito, French President Emmanuel Macron and US First Lady Jill Biden.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi wished his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony and said "we look forward to a season of incredible performances by the world's best sportspersons".
With Inputs From Agencies
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