INDIAN male hockey team captain Manpreet Singh and Olympic medal-winning boxer Mary Kom led the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of a pandemic-plagued Summer Olympics in Tokyo on Friday (23). The Indian squad at the ceremony saw a limited participation because of the pandemic. The Olympics, which are being held after a year, will take place behind closed doors.
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The event, which lacked the regular fanfare, took place in a nearly empty Olympic Stadium. Representatives of more than 200 participating nations took part in the march past. A video showing athletes training at home during the coronavirus pandemic was shown on the occasion while pink fireworks burst into the air after the countdown.
The ceremony in the 68,000-capacity stadium saw only a few hundred officials and dignitaries, including Japanese emperor Naruhito, French president Emmanuel Macron and US first lady Jill Biden. The emperor officially declared the Games open. More than 11,000 athletes are taking part in the Tokyo Games where 339 events in 33 sporting disciplines will take place.
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There were, however, some unusual moments at the opening ceremony. For example, Hend Zaza, a 12-year-old table tennis player, jointly carried the flag for the Syrian contingent with equestrian Ahmad Saber Hamcho. The girl from the war-torn nation is the youngest participant in this Olympic.
Here are some pictures from the opening ceremony of the quadrennial event which will continue till August 8.
A general view outside the stadium as fireworks are let off during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Hannah Mills and Mohamed Sbihi of Team Great Britain lead their team during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
President of France Emmanuel Macron is seen during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Mahoor Shahzad and Muhammad Khalil Akhtar of Team Pakistan during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Flag bearers of Team Belarus during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
US First Lady, Jill Biden is seen during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Yeon Koung Kim and Sunwoo Hwang of South Korea lead their team out during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Hannah McKay - Pool/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Milka Gehani Elpitiya Badaldge Dona and Chamara Repiyallage of Team Sri Lanka during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Mireia Belmonte and Saul Craviotto of Team Spain lead their team out during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Syria's flag bearers Hend Zaza (L) and Ahmad Saber Hamcho lead their delegation as they parade during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at the Olympic Stadium, in Tokyo, on July 23, 2021. (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images
