Thailand’s Olympic flag relay hits halfway point but Games in doubt
Thailand’s countdown to the Tokyo Olympics reached halfway as the “Flag of Nation” relay runners crossed from Chai Nat to Nakhon Sawan province on Monday, the 30th day of the event.
The relay run bearing the Thai flag through 35 provinces began on March 21 and will stretch for 61 days and 4,606 kilometres – roughly the distance between Bangkok and Tokyo.
The finish line for Monday’s run was the 2,303km milestone, with Tuesday’s leg winding from Nakhon Sawan Central Stadium to Chumchon Pracha Samakkhi School in Kamphaeng Phet province over a total distance of 68.5km.
The Thai flag will be carried by 4,568 bearers – athletes, celebrities and members of the public – before being delivered to Suvarnabhumi Airport to take off with the Olympic athletes on May 27.
The Tokyo Olympics are due from July 23 to August 8.
However, the chief of Japan’s ruling party warned earlier this month that the Games could be cancelled if a new outbreak of Covid-19 could not be contained.
“If the situation comes to the point where we cannot take it anymore, we should call off the Games without hesitation,” said Toshihiro Nikai.
“What’s the point of holding the Olympics if it boosts the spread of infection?” he added.
Meanwhile, Kyodo News agency recently carried a poll stating that 72 per cent of Japanese people want the Olympics to be cancelled or postponed.