Volunteers for Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2021

 Tokyo Olympic games were held between 23^rd July to 08^th August 2021, and  Paralympic games were held between 24th August to 5^th September.

As already reported in many medias, there were debates whether it should be held while Tokyo was under the State of Emergency. Every day medias were reporting about the debates on both pros and cons. In the end, the both game kicked off as scheduled.

My local area, which is outside of Tokyo, was designated for the site for sailing games. There was a pictogram printed on the staircase of train station.

The sailing game took place on the beach, on the left-hand side near an off-shore island. 

I went to the beach few days before the game. To be honest, it seemed unrealistic that the game would be held there, as it was very quiet, no atmosphere of welcoming the teams from across the world.

One of my old customer participated the Olympics as a volunteer. He used to work at a travel company, attending tours as tour leader. He is well travelled, very hospitable person with kind nature. He is also an amateur athlete, loves rugby and marathon. He participated many full-marathons across the world, such as Marrakech marathon in Morocco.

He has been preparing for the past few years. When the Olympics has been postponed until 2021, he remained as volunteer and determined to participate.

Just few days before the Olympics, he and his fellow volunteers started checking the restricted areas of the Olympic stadium. He worked 3 days as one of the media team.

He posted some of the photographs on SNS, reported that he was enjoying the days thoroughly. Only the complaint is that volunteers cannot go out of the stadium for lunch, when his favourite restaurant was right in front of the stadium. He has completed his 3 days mission without much problem.

For Paralympic games, one of my old friend participated as volunteer for the triathlon game. She is also an amateur athlete, very energetic and full of hospitality. She has participated many triathlon games herself in Japan and abroad. Apparently her circle of amateur athletes also participated as Paralympic volunteers. 

They have not only experienced the participation to triathlon games, but also as supporters. Their opinion is that each Paralympians have specific needs for support which has to be catered for. For example when athlete finished swimming, they need experienced hands to support the Paralympians getting out of water. My friend also did her 3 days mission, and she was happy to see the game went well.

I lost chance to watch both Olympics and Paralympics games on television, as I was stack in front of PC looking for a job. The only moment I could manage to see was the beginning of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The most impressive performance was “Dance of death” by Mirai Moriyama – a tribute to the victims of COVID-19, the Tsunami in Tohoku area of Japan in 2011, and 1972 Munich Olympics. The dance was powerful, and I reckon it represented the tributes needed to be paid, especially to the victims of COVID-19. I missed the pictogram performance, with was a huge disappointment.

 Another disappointment was the crowd of people who gathered around the Olympic stadium to see the drones. Some people posted their videos with gathering of people brandishing their mobile phones to take videos of the drone performance.   

I have no idea if these people have complicit to spread virus – it’s their choice to whether to be contracted or spread the virus. But looking at them, no matter how the staffs and volunteers did best to prepare for the game in at most caution, they ruined the effort of the staffs involved in the games – I believe these unwanted guests outside the stadium did something unwelcome for the whole event.