Olympic flag tour sinimulan sa Tohoku

Ni Florenda Corpuz

Kuha mula sa Tokyo 2020

Sinimulan na ng Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee ang Olympic flag exhibition tour sa Tohoku bilang bahagi ng pagsuporta sa muling pagbangon ng rehiyon na matinding naapektuhan ng 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Dumating sa plaza sa harap ng Fukushima Prefectural Government Office sa Fukushima City ang Olympic at Paralympic flags nitong unang linggo ng Nobyembre na mainit at masayang sinalubong ng mga lokal na residente na karamihan ay mga bata.

Iprinisinta ni Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Flag Tour Ambassador Mikako Kotani, na bronze medallist sa synchronised swimming sa Seoul 1988 Olympic Games kasama si Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, ang mga bandila kay Fukushima Prefecture Governor Masao Uchibori.

Dumalo rin si Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister in charge Tamayo Marukawa at sumama sa mga Olympians at Paralympians mula sa Fukushima Prefecture kabilang si Olympic basketball competitor at Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission member Mikiko Hagiwara.

“I can still remember how excited I felt the moment I walked into the stadium at the Atlanta Olympics,” ani Hagiwara.

“Find an athlete who can serve as a role model and work hard to be like that person,” dagdag pa nito.

Nagpahayag din ng kani-kanilang “sense of expectation” ang mga atleta sa Tokyo 2020 sa pamamagitan ng pakikisalamuha, pakikipag-usap at pagwawagayway ng bandila.

Nakatakda rin dumating sa Iwate, Miyagi at Kumamoto Prefecture ang Olympic at Paralympic flags na mga naapektuhan ng lindol at tsunami noong 2011 at 2016.

Samantala, inilunsad din ng Fukushima Prefecture ang isang cultural event sa ilalim ng Tokyo 2020 Support Programme na tinawag na “Future from Fukushima - Local Treasures Folk Culture Preservation Project,” kung saan nagkaroon ng two-day cultural festival na tinawag na “Home Town Festival 2016 in Shirakawa.” Nagtanghal dito ang amputee dancer na si Koichi Omae na nagtanghal din sa Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.

“13 years ago I had my left foot amputated, but I came back from that. I came back from it by accepting the change. I wanted to go back to how I was before, but that wasn’t possible. However, change was possible, and with everyone’s support I was able to become a professional dancer once again. I think everyone has gone through such an experience, whether it’s losing ability or youthful looks with age, choosing not to give in to inability but rather adapting to it. I want every one of us to accept change and use that as a resource to help Fukushima and other affected areas,” pagbibigay inspirasyon ni Omae.

“This event is the first under the auspices of the Tokyo 2020 Support Programme’s ‘Recovery’ category to be held in Fukushima prefecture. We consider recovery and support to be a cornerstone of what the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics are about. We are here to spread awareness of this project throughout the country so that we can collaborate and work together to boost the recovery of Japan’s earthquake-hit regions,” pagtatapos naman ni Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Executive Director of the Bureau of Administration Koji Tejima.