TOKYO. – There’s a state of emergency in Japan, but it’s business as usual inside the Athletes’ Village of the Olympic Games here.
Team Philippinesphysician Dr. Randy Molo of the Philippine Sports Commission’s Medical and Sports Science unitrevealed this to media men during breakfast at the Conrad Tokyo, secretariat headquarters of the delegation.
“The athletes approach each day as a regular one, but they don’t let their guards down,” Molo said.
He added that athletes go about their businesswith guarded optimism inside the 44-hectare Athletes Village located in Tokyo’s Harumi Waterfront District.
“They bring their chairs into the open, grass field and they soak up the sun,” he said. “You see athletes jogging or cycling, but with the usual masks and social distancing.”
The athletes have everything they need inside the village — from 48,000 kinds of meals to choose from to massage therapiststhat can be arranged online.
Having the most fun among the 14 Filipino athletes staying inside the village is skateboarder Margielyn Didal, who goes around the facility using her skateboard.
“They are moving around freely, but of course, with the usual protocols that we have been used to in the Philippines, social distancing, use of face masks,” Molo said.
Athletes, officials, and coaches numbering 6,700 also need to undergo saliva testing for COVID-19 daily.
Molo also revealed that Irish Magno is back training as if nothing happened after the boxer suffered a soft tissue contusion during her skip-rope training session.
“Nothing serious, she’s back training with the rest of the boxing team,” Molo said.
The Athletes Village has been hogging the spotlight lately, from several participants testing positive for the virus, to “cardboard beds that are not sturdy enough for sex.”
