Indian Olympic contingent to be taught Japan's culture ahead of Tokyo Games

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have invited professors from universities in Japan to teach the Olympic-bound Indian contingent, including athletes, coaches, officials and the support staff, the country's culture.

The upcoming Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9 2020.

Japan has a unique culture, with the locals emphasising on correct behaviour from their foreign visitors. To ensure that the players from India do not find themselves in a sticky situation during the event, the SAI and the IOA have called upon Professor Randeep Rakwal from the University of Tsukuba, who will conduct sessions with other colleagues.

As per reports in The Indian Express, Rakwal and Co. will conduct two sessions for the athletes in New Delhi and Patiala on February 27 and February 29 respectively. The professors will cover topics like using chopsticks for meals, jaywalking, bowing and the basic etiquette from their conduct to the way they should greet people.

“The tone of the voice is important; you don’t speak loudly and when you are using public transport, you hardly hear the noise of people talking. Politeness is an art in Japan. It is about listening, and not speaking too much. So the athletes and staff should not be impolite. The politeness has to be reciprocated,” said Rakwal.

"They will have to interact with locals, whether at the airport while travelling within the city, or even at the stadiums, where the volunteers and dope-control officials could be Japanese. The athletes will be ambassadors of the country. So we thought it is important for them to know the customs of the country they are going to,” a Sports Ministry official told The Indian Express.

A number of Indian sports stars are expected to reach Japan a few weeks before the Games begin to acclimatise themselves to the conditions on offer. The weightlifters, the archers and the boxers from India are the ones who are likely to land in the country at least three weeks before the quadrennial event begins.