Tokyo Olympics Day 2 recap: Brazil pips Germany in men's football opener, opening ceremony updates

Catch up with all the action from the day gone by at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Catch all the updates from day 2 of the Tokyo Olympics, featuring men's football and softball fixtures.

Hello and welcome to our Daily Wrap of all the action from the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Despite the opening ceremony being two days away, two events got off to an eventful and action-packed start on Wednesday - baseball/softball and football, with the women's teams taking to the field in both disciplines. Let's take a brief look at the results:

RESULTS

 

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SOFTBALL RETURNS TO THE OLYMPICS

Baseball/softball return to the Olympic roster after 13 years but they're not alone. We have six new disciplines in Tokyo this year. Here's a brief look at them all.

 

STORY IN FOCUS - INDIA

With just one day to go for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, nine support staff members of the Indian athletes in the Japanese capital, across five disciplines, are waiting for clarity on their access to the Olympics village and the competition area. The support staff members had raised the issue about their access to the village and competition area on July 18 and subsequently had a meeting with the deputy chef de mission, Prem Verma, on July 20 at the Far East Village Hotel in Ariake, Tokyo.  READ MORE:

 

NEWS

Czech cyclist Michal Schlegel has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth athlete on the central European nation's Olympic team to do so. Read more:

Guinea cancelled its participation in the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a source close to the government in Conakry said that the decision not to send its five-person team was a consequence of financial constraints. The West African nation ultimately reversed its decision. Read more:

World number one Kaylee McKeown of Australia will be withdrawing from the women's 200 metres medley in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics to focus on her backstroke events. The withdrawal could be a blow to Australia's hopes of taking on the United States in the pool, given that McKeown broke the world record in the 100 metres backstroke at the Australian Olympic trials and also registered strong performances in both the 200m backstroke and 200m medley. Read more:

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) condemned a social media post shared by an unaccredited USA Wrestling staff member that compared COVID-19 protocols to Nazi Germany. Read more:

A U.S. Olympic swimming gold medal prospect, Michael Andrew, who declined a coronavirus vaccine, has been strictly complying with health protocols while in Japan, as part of a team that is taking the measures seriously. Andrew has called it an educated decision and insisted he was not anti-vax. Read more:

After images of Olympic football players taking a knee were excluded from official highlight reels and social media channels, the IOC said on Thursday they will be shown in the future. Read more:

Defending Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles shone in training on Thursday in a series of sharp routines that included a vault so difficult that no other woman has ever attempted it in competition. Read more:

Australia’s highest-ranking Olympic official and the current premier of the state of Queensland where the 2032 Olympics will be held have put an early test to the old adage that sports and politics don’t mix. Read more:

Tunisian swimming double gold medallist Oussama Mellouli decided to compete at the Tokyo Games, changing his mind about 'boycotting' his sixth Olympics. The 37-year-old 10km open water swimmer had announced his international retirement earlier in the week after a dispute with his national federation . Read more:

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who memorably dressed up as the titular plumber from the Super Mario video game to promote the Tokyo Olympics in Rio, will not attend the opening ceremony, public broadcaster  NHK  and other media reported. Read more: 

EVENT DRAWS

Tennis:

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic will begin the next leg of his quest to become the first male player to complete the Golden Slam when he takes on Bolivia's 139th-ranked Hugo Dellien at the Tokyo Olympics in the opening round. Read more:

The Indian tennis star duo of Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina will clash with the Ukrainian pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics.  India's Sumit Nagal will clash with Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the first round. Read more:

Boxing:

Indian boxer M.C. Mary Kom will take on Dominician Republic's Miguelina Garcia in the first round of the women's 51kg division at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. No. 1 ranked Amit Panghal will receive a first round bye in the 52kg division, while Vikas Krishan will face Japan's Sewonrets Okazawa in the 53kg category on Saturday. More:

FEATURES

The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (RADA) is essential to restoring integrity to international sports and protecting clean athletes but won't be able to keep the Tokyo Games clean, a Helsinki Commission hearing in Washington was told on Wednesday. Read more:

 

Watch for our daily wraps of all the action from the Tokyo Olympics. Follow us on Twitter and Telegram to keep up with the news as it happens.