- Title: Athletes arrive at Tokyo for Paralympic Games as Japan battles COVID-19 surge
- Date: 23rd August 2021
- Summary: SYMBOL OF PARALYMPIC GAMES ON DISPLAY
- Embargoed: 6th September 2021 08:59
- Keywords: COVID-19 Haneda Airport Japan Paralympians Paralympic Games Tokyo Tokyo 2020 Tokyo Paralympics coronavirus pandemic surge
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA004ERI0QIN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: More Paralympic athletes arrived at Tokyo on Monday (August 23), a day before the Paralympic Games was set to open, even as Japan continues to combat soaring COVID-19 infections.
Athletes, coaches, and team members from Ireland, Britain, and Luxembourg were greeted warmly by staff and volunteers of the Games upon their arrival at Haneda Airport.
"I'm really excited to be here. With the postponement, it's been a long wait. And with everything that's going on in the world, it's nice to just come and do something that looks like we're going forward," shooting athlete Phil Eaglesham of Ireland said.
Planners of the Paralympics, set to run from Tuesday (August 24) until Sept. 5, agreed recently to hold the Games generally without spectators, a measure taken at the recently concluded Olympics.
Japan's fifth wave of infections, which is being driven by the highly infectious Delta variant, has prompted the government to extend pandemic emergency measures in Tokyo and other regions until Sept. 12.
(Production: Akira Tomoshige, Rikako Maruyama) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Olympic restriction: Clip cannot be re-published without additional clearances from the IOC.
