The 2020 Olympics kicked off yesterday amidst pump and pageantry and while most countries paraded only one flagbearer Nigeria complied with the International Olympic Committee directive of having a male and female flagbearers.
Also, Ethiopian male swimmer Abdelmalik Muktar and Tajikistani male judoka Temur Rakhimov waved the flags of their respective countries, in spite of having a mixed delegation.
Congo, on the other hand, had only female sprinter Natacha Ngoye Akamabi represent their mixed team.
Other countries that only had a male flagbearer, such as the United Arab Emirates, had a male-only delegation.
Delegations of countries known for conservative gender values complied with the IOC request, as male rower Husein Alireza and female judoka Tahani Alqahtani waved as they held the Saudi Arabian flag.
Members of Team Nigeria however fell short of the stipulated rules as they not only failed to put on a uniformed face masks, while some were without one during the opening ceremony parade at the showpiece.
While countries like South Africa, Poland, France, Mali, Lithuania, Portugal United States and Belgium were a delight to watch as they wore uniform masks during their parades.
Pictures showed members of the Nigerian delegation without their nose masks, which negates the COVID-19 protocols laid down by the organisers.
Another country that was not a delight to watch during the parade was Germany.
Germany’s Olympic uniform for the Tokyo Games has not gone down well with some athletes and social media users from the country and abroad.
“Who is responsible for this outfit. Come on now,” Olympic basketball player Maodo Lo said on Instagram about the mint green outfit with a rather extravagant vest and neon-coloured shoes.
Teammate Niels Giffey agreed, asking makers Adidas and Team Germany “who thinks this up?”
Internet users were not impressed either during the opening ceremony.
One tweeted that “no one can take away the gold medal for ugliest uniform from us,” and another added, “you can rely on the tastelessness of German uniforms at Olympic Games.”
