But when a ban on spectators was announced last week due to Covid-19, that dream was over. He had spent nearly $40,000 on 197 tickets for him and his friends, to cram in as many events as possible during Tokyo 2020, which starts on July 23. "But I was so passionate about the Olympics that even though it was very difficult and challenging, I enjoyed the process of buying the tickets." The 45-year-old real estate businessman worked out that if he watched all the events he had booked, he would have broken the Guinness World Record for attendance at Olympic events. "All I have now is sadness, and every time I look at the tickets, I cry," Takishima said.

Source: CNN July 18, 2021 00:45 UTC