The International Olympic Committee does not plan to call for a moment of silence at the Tokyo Games on Aug. 6, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, instead aiming to honour it in the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony, organisers said on Sunday. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui sent a letter dated July 28 to IOC President Thomas Bach asking for a moment of silence to be observed. "I am hoping that athletes and Games-related people will touch upon the reality of the atomic bombing in some way," Matsui said in the letter, made public on the city's web site. The U.S. atomic bombing occurred at 8:15 a.m. on Aug 6, 1945, which reduced the city to ashes and killed some 140,000 people by the end of the year. The closing ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 8.

Source: The Star August 01, 2021 21:00 UTC