At the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, which is the table tennis venue for the Tokyo Olympics, the children's morning glory and messages of support welcome athletes and tournament officials.
At the entrance and passage of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, 450 pots of morning glory raised from seeds by children of five elementary schools in Tokyo are lined up.
The morning glory is accompanied by messages such as "Ganbare World" written by children, and supports athletes and tournament officials heading to the competition.
The Portuguese referee man who saw the message said, "It's a great idea. It's encouraging for athletes and tournament officials. I received good hospitality. Thank you so much for welcoming us."
In addition, a message board with a height of about 2 meters and a width of 10 meters is installed in the break space of the tournament staff, and volunteers and staff members write messages to athletes and colleagues who work together. ..
On the board, there were more than 120 messages in Japanese and foreign languages, such as "It's a difficult time, but I want everyone to have the courage to play" and "Ale to everyone who is working hard in the hot weather !!".
As the flow lines of athletes and staff are separated to prevent infection, athletes cannot see the message directly, but the Organizing Committee wants to convey the message to athletes through SNS and other means.
Mr. Tori Seki, the organizer of the tournament, said, "I think everyone's thoughts will be shared with the players. I hope to share the feelings with the friends who shared this time."