The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, scheduled for August 24 to September 5, will take place without public due to the record number of positive cases of Covid-19 in Japan, its organizers announced this Monday. The measure, related to the restriction of spectators that the Olympic Games had between July 23 and August 8, however, contemplates the possibility of authorizing school presence in some venues under strict health protocols.
Tokyo remains in a state of emergency due to the pandemic, as do the neighboring prefectures of Saitama and Chiba; while Shizuoka, who also hosts competition venues, evaluates his statement in the coming days. Last week the capital of Japan recorded an average of 5,000 cases per day in the context of a national statistic of 20,000 infections, which put the capacity of the health system on alarm.
The prohibition of attendance at the Paralympic events was adopted by consensus between the local Organizing Committee, the government authorities of Japan and the directors of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Argentina will participate in the event with a delegation of 57 athletes in 11 disciplines: athletics, cycling, bocce, football for the blind, judo, swimming, para-canoeing, rowing, tennis, table tennis and taekwondo. The athlete Yanina Martínez, a gold medalist in Rio 2016 in the 100 meter dash, and the judoka Fabián Ramírez, a double medalist who will deputize his sixth Games, will carry the “albiceleste” flag at the opening ceremony.
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