VATICAN (Agencies): “In this time of pandemic, may these games be a sign of hope, a sign of universal brotherhood marked by a healthy spirit of competition,” Pope Francis said July 25, after praying the Angelus at the Vatican. His remarks came as thousands of athletes gathered for the 32nd Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, scheduled to run until August 8, CNS reported.
The pope also tweeted the same message with the hashtag #Tokyo2020.
“God bless the organisers, the athletes and all those who collaborate for this great festival of sport,” he said after the Angelus.
The 2020 Summer Olympics were rescheduled to 2021, due to the Covid-19 coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2] pandemic. More than 11,600 athletes from 205 national Olympic committee teams and the IOC [International Olympic Committee] Refugee Olympic Team are participating in more than 330 events in 33 different sports.
Vatican News reported that Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, asked visiting athletes and coaches to refrain from attending local Catholic churches due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19. Japan declared a fourth state of emergency including the city of Tokyo ahead of the Games.
UCAN reported that the archdiocese has made various provisions, including live-streamed Sunday Masses in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
AsiaNews reported that 12-year-old table tennis player, Hend Zaza, from Hama, Syria, became the youngest athlete to participate in the Olympics.
“As Syrians we are following the participation of our athletes in the Games with great interest. This is also a way of drawing attention to Syria and the suffering of the Syrian people,” said Father Amer Kassar, from Our Lady of Fatima Church in Damascus.
Hong Kong rejoiced on July 26 as fencer, Edgar Cheung Ka-long, defeated defending Olympic champion, Daniele Garozzo, to snare gold in the men’s foil individual event.
“I beat an Olympic champion to become an Olympic champion!” the South China Morning Post quoted him as exclaiming.
The last time the territory won gold was 25 years ago when windsurfer, Lee Lai-shan, snagged gold at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
In swimming, Siobhan Haughey bagged the silver medal in the women’s 200 metre freestyle finals on July 28, just pipped at the post by Australian, Ariarne Titmus.
With medal events coming up badminton and tennis this Games looks to be Hong Kong’s best showing at the Games so far.
Meanwhile, the Philippines also had cause to celebrate as weightlifter and four-time Olympian, Hidilyn Diaz, from Zamboanga, became the country’s first gold medal winner, hoisting 224 kilogrammes in the clean and jerk, while also setting an Olympic record in the 55kg weight class, Philippine media reported.
‘In this time of pandemic, may these games be a sign of hope, a sign of universal brotherhood marked by a healthy spirit of competition … God bless the organisers, the athletes and all those who collaborate for this great festival of sport’
“I cannot believe my name is in the Olympic record. So I’m really thankful,” ChurchPOP.com reported Diaz as saying. “God is Amazing! God is Amazing!” she exclaimed as she lifted up the Miraculous Medal she wears around her neck.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines added its plaudits.
“We admire her devotion to the Blessed Mother as she carried in her victory her great faith in God,” CBCPNews reported Archbishop Romulo Valles, the conference president, as saying.
“Hidilyn is a true weightlifter who draws her strength from her love for the country and her deep Catholic faith,” Archbishop Valles added.
Philippine government officials were in a hurry to walk back their attempt, in 2019, to tag Diaz in a matrix of alleged destabilisers, the Inquirer reported.
However no apologies were forthcoming.
Many events were held without spectators due to ongoing Covid-19 health measures.
This year, the Refugee Olympic Team was made up of 29 athletes from a dozen countries who have been living and training in host countries, CNS reported.
In 2015, International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, announced the creation of a Refugee Olympic Team to take part in the games, starting with the Summer Games in Rio 2016.
The Holy See has already appointed a delegation to the next Olympic Games, which will take place in 2024 in Paris, according to La Croix.
The delegation includes Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard, a 53-year-old auxiliary of Lyon, France; Bishop Philippe Marsset, auxiliary bishop of Paris; and Archbishop Luc Ravel of Strasbourg.
Speaking to La Croix, Bishop Gobilliard said, “It is important to show today that the Church is interested in sports that we are in touch with society. This is especially true since the Church is historically present in this environment through sports clubs, which have often been founded by priests and religious.”
The bishop noted, “Pierre de Coubertin, the [founder] of the [modern] Olympic Games, was himself a Catholic. Today, the sports federations in France represent tens of thousands of people, many of them young people. We want to show that the Church joins them in this event.”
