With Tokyo Olympics 2020 torch relay right around the
corner, organisers on Thursday announced that spectators will not be allowed to
cheer during the march. However, spectators will be permitted to line the route
when Olympic flame begins on March 25.

“They must support with applause or by using
distributed goods rather than by shouting or cheering,” said the guidelines, adding that individual relay segments will be suspended in case of overcrowding.

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The Olympics torch relay, a long standing tradition of
Olympics games, to be held in Tokyo this time was given a go ahead by organisers
despite COVID-19 concerns. It will kick off on March 25, starting
from a symbolic Japanese site in Fukushima, highlighting the role of Tokyo 2020
in “Reconstruction Olympics” as Japan calls– after the 2011 earthquake,
tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The organisers and Japanese authority earlier decided to scrap the torch relay due to COVID-19 pandemic days before it was scheduled to begin. The event was later permitted with restrictions in place.

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The guidelines allow spectators to watch the flame pass, put a mask on all the time, avoid crowding, and only attend segments of
the relay near their home.

As far the number of attendees are concerned, attendance will be limited along portions of the
route at celebration venues and information on which
torchbearers will run which sections of the route will be released only at the
last minute to avoid crowds gathering to watch celebrity runners.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 games are scheduled to open on July 23 with final decisions on key elements with IOC
chief Thomas Bach. He said on Wednesday that the ruling on whether to allow foreign
spectators could come in April or May.

Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled to be conducted from July 24 to August 9, 2020.