Sports aficionados across the world are eagerly awaiting the start of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo from tomorrow, after a year-long delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The mega quadrennial global event will kick off with a highly-anticipated Opening Ceremony tomorrow from 4:30 pm Indian time.

However, the event to be held at the newly-built National Stadium in the Japanese capital, will be a scaled down and a low key affair amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ceremony will have none of the usual splendour and fanfare. The event will lack the mass choreography, the huge props and the cornucopia of dancers, actors and lights associated with an usual Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Long-time opening ceremony executive producer, Marco Balich, said that the ceremony in Tokyo will be a toned down show and will exhibit gorgeous Japanese aesthetics.

He said, the event will be quintessentially Japanese in nature but will also be in sync with the sentiments of today, the reality.

Rising COVID-19 cases in Tokyo have also cast a shadow over an event that, which has already been postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

Japan had announced that the participants will be competing in empty venues so that the health risks can be minimised.

Fans will see a much smaller team parade taking place in an almost empty Tokyo Olympic stadium.

Deputy chef-de-mission Prem Kumar Verma said that only six officials from every country are allowed at the ceremony although there is no cap on athletes.