Tokyo Olympics

Llanelli, south Wales. A small town backing on to green hills and a history of heavy industry.

Fiji, South Pacific. An tropical archipelago of palms, white sand and a slower way of life.

Half the globe away, and a world of difference.

But Baber, the Welshman who arrived as Fiji's sevens coach in January 2017, does not feel as far from home as all that.

"I spent a lot of time in Llanelli as a kid, in the pubs, playing pool, knocking about in the lanes outside," he told BBC Sport.

The team also received its game schedules upon arriving at the game village.

The rowing competitions will commence from the July 23rd -July 30th.

The Judo competitions will take place on 24-31 July. The table tennis competition will take place from 24-30 July and 1-6 August.

Vanuatu will be represented in all these games.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will commence on 23 July and end on 8 August.

Toyota Motor Corp chief executive Akio Toyoda and other executives will not attend the opening ceremony, Toyota said on Monday.

"It is true that Toyota will not be attending the opening ceremony, and the decision was made considering various factors including no spectators," a spokesperson said.

"We will not be airing any commercials related to the Games in Japan," she added.

VASANOC said “It has been months that VASANOC is working closely with all the national and international stakeholders in order to make this event happen. And here we are, at the final countdown with our team ready to fly.”

VASANOC is encouraging the public to gather in numbers and bid farewell to the athletes that will be representing the country.

 “Our delegation is leaving on this Thursday July 15th and they need your support!”

“So, everyone is more than welcome to come and support them at the international airport of Port-Vila at 11am.” 

Just over a week before the opening ceremony, the spreading infections highlight the risks of staging the world's biggest sports event during a pandemic even without spectators in sports venues.

Seven staff at the hotel in Hamamatsu city, southwest of Tokyo, had tested positive for the coronavirus, a city official said.

But a 31-strong Brazilian Olympic delegation, which includes judo athletes, are in a "bubble" in the hotel and separated from other guests and have not been infected.

Federer, 39, has suffered a setback with an existing knee injury.

The Swiss legend won doubles gold at Beijing 2008 and silver in 2012, losing the singles final to Andy Murray.

Konta, 30, has contracted Covid after withdrawing from Wimbledon when a member of her team tested positive and she was identified as a close contact.

Federer, now ranked number nine in the world, had two knee surgeries in 2020.

It has been several years since the 29-year-old played sevens rugby competitively.

Before meeting up with the team in Japan, Radradra participated in the Super Sevens Series that was held in the UK.

According to the Bristol Post, Radradra played for the Official Wooden Spoon Marauders Sevens team where they won the plate final.

Fiji has two matches on the opening day of the 7s competition.

They will face Japan on 26 July at 12pm (local time) before taking on Canada at 8pm.

Fiji will then play Great Britain on the next day.

Yoshua Shing, Rillio "Rio" and Hugo Cumbo will join athletes from around the world for the event.

Table tennis player Shing. who was the flag bearer in the 2016 competition is heading for his third Olympics.

Rillio "Rio" Rii has qualified in the rowing competition.

Like many other athletes, he has been preparing since last year.

Before the Olympics was cancelled in 2020, Rii left for a three month training programme in Australia.

Kerevi has been named as the highest-profile member in Tim Walsh’s squad as Australia narrow in on the Games, where they will look to challenge for a podium finish.

The 33-test international confirmed his switch from the XV-man game to sevens in May following the completion of the Top League in Japan, where he had been playing for Suntory Sungoliath.

Clarke, who put his efforts into the sevens following Super Rugby Aotearoa this year, has been named as a travelling reserve.

The Chiefs player Etene Nanai-Seturo, who was in the same situation, has made the 12.

The men's and women's teams are both full of experience with the women's side including seven players who claimed silver in Rio five years ago.

Co-captain Tim Mikkelson, the most capped sevens player in the game's history, is joined by Scott Curry and Sam Dickson who have more than 50 World Series tournament appearances each.