Tokyo, October 10, 1964 - Bearing a black katana shaped torch, 19 year old Yoshinori Sakai jogged up the steps to the Olympic cauldron at National Stadium.
Smoke trailing behind him, he broke through the brassy din of the military band - camera flashes erupting as the crowd turned to watch the young man - born in Hiroshima the day the Enola Gay rained blazing death on his birthplace - stretch forth and bring Olympian flames, and thunderous applause to life.
Japan had finally seen the Olympic Games come to her capital - 29 years after she was first chosen to host them. An Asian first.
Some days ago, on March 24, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Thomas Bach of the IOC shared a phone call that resulted in only the third time the modern Olympics has been postponed or cancelled in history - both previous cancellations stemming from World Wars.
The world is now at war again.
Image credits : Image credits:
Title image :
Shadi Ghanim (thenational.ae) - March 27,2020
19 year old Yoshinori Sakai at 15:01 , October 10, 1964 - alamy.com
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