After a year-long delay, multiple setbacks and numerous health scares, the Tokyo Olympics is about to start. There will be no crowds due to Covid restrictions and many athletes have decided not to travel to Japan.
But a high price has already been paid for the delay, and failure to compete would have been crushing for the athletes who have made it to Tokyo. The Games are facing significant opposition in Japan due to their Covid risks, while the first cases of athletes testing positive at the Olympic Village were reported by local officials on Sunday.
But here we are, ready for the the most controversial Games in 41 years.
The International Olympic Committee has added five sports to the Tokyo programme to attract younger audiences: karate, softball, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the July 23-August 8 Tokyo Games will be staged at the Olympic Stadium, which will also host athletics events and football matches.
More details about the pandemic-ravaged Games are below.
Main events and venues
Football (July 21 to August 7)
Tokyo Stadium, International Stadium Yokohama, Miyagi Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, Saitama Stadium, Sapporo Dome
Stars to watch
Athletics (July 30 to August 8)
Tokyo Stadium and Sapporo Odori Park
Stars to watch
Tennis (July 24 to August 1)
Arlake Tennis Park
Swimming (July 24 to August 1)
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Basketball (July 25 to August 8)
Aomi Urban Sports Park (3×3 version) and Saitama Super Arena
Golf (July 29 to August 1 men’s event, August 4-7 women’s event)
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Cycling (July 25-August 9)
Izu Velodrome, Ariake Urban Sports Park, Izu MTB Course, Fuji International Speedway
Rowing (July 25-August 1)
Sea Forest Waterway
Badminton (July 24 to August 2)
Musashino Forest Sport Plaza
Shooting (July 24 to August 2)
Asaka Shooting Range
Judo (July 24-31)
Nippon Budokan
Boxing (July 24 to August 8)
Kokugikan Arena
Gymnastics (July 24-August 3)
Ariake Gymnastics Centre
Rugby Sevens (July 26-31): Tokyo Stadium
Table tennis (July 24 to August 6): Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
Wrestling (August 1-7): Makuhari Messe Hall
UAE Athletes to watch
The UAE will be banking on the trio who represented them at Rio 2016 — shooter Saif bin Futtais and judokas Victor Scvortov and Ivan Remarenco — in the medal hunt.
The six-member squad in Japan — that also includes wildcards swimmer Yousuf Al Matrooshi, and track athletes Hassan Al Noobi and Fatima Al Hosani — is the smallest contingent the Emirates has sent sending to an Olympics since their first Games participation at Los Angeles 1984.
Where to watch the Olympics in the UAE
beIN sports are the official broadcast partners of the Olympics in the region.
What’s up with the medals?
Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will put their medals around their own necks to protect against spreading the coronavirus. Not just that, all the medals at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been made from recycled electronic waste. The Tokyo Games aims to be the ‘greenest ever’ Olympics, powered by renewable energy and recycled medals.
Are the beds at the Olympic Village made of cardboard?
Keeping with the theme of a Green games and also to maintain highest-possible health standards during the ongoing pandemic, the beds in the Olympic Village are made from reinforced cardboard. Organisers have set a target of reusing or recycling 65 per cent of waste generated during the event.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
