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Olympic Games in Tokyo

Olympic oath taken at Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

This year, it was updated to include words about equality and the fight against discrimination

TOKYO, July 23. /TASS/. Athletes, judges and coaches have taken the Olympic Oath at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.

The oath was updated for the Tokyo Games to include words about equality and the fight against discrimination.

Two Japanese athletes recited the oath as follows: "We promise to take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play, inclusion and equality. Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without doping, without cheating, without any form of discrimination. We do this for the honor of our teams, in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport."

The phrases "In the name of the athletes", "In the name of all judges" and "In the name of all the coaches and officials" were pronounced by two athletes, two judges and two coaches. Each pair consisted of a man and a woman.

The Olympic Oath was first taken by Belgian athlete Victor Boin at the opening ceremony of the Antwerp Olympics back in 1920. Athletes, judges and coaches used to take separate oaths but the three oaths were combined into one for the 2018 Olympics.

The Tokyo Games were scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9, 2020. However, the event was put off until this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Games will last until August 8, 2021. The organizers decided that the Olympics would take place without foreign fans, while local spectators won’t be allowed to attend Olympic events in six Japanese prefectures, including Tokyo.

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