Flame for 2020 Tokyo Olympics lit in Greece behind closed doors

The flame for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was lit on Thursday in a torch lighting ceremony held in ancient Olympia in Greece behind closed doors as the country registered its first death from coronavirus recently. 

Taking to their official Twitter handle, Olympics posted a video of the lighting ceremony, which took place without spectators and marked the beginning of a torch relay that will end with the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on July 24.

In the video, Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou could be seen dressed as an ancient Greek high priestess who lit the flame by using the rays of the sun reflected off a concave mirror. 

Georgiou then passes the flame to Greek shooting athlete Anna Korakaki, who became the first female torchbearer to ever start the Olympic Torch Relay.

Korakaki, who clinched a gold medal in the 25m pistol category at the 2016 Rio Olympics, holds the Olympic flame and an olive branch during the flame lighting ceremony.

The Greek shooter then passed the flame to Japanese torch relay runner Mizuki Noguchi by a process called a “torch kiss”. 

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos were among a few to attend the ceremony.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is slated to place from July 24 to August 9. However, the global spread of coronavirus has cast doubt over whether the quadrennial sporting event will take place as scheduled.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) had labeled the outbreak of coronavirus (COVD-19) a 'pandemic.'