June 24, 2021 – 02:30
Fighter Ramón Quiroga will compete in the Kokugikan Arena, the spiritual home of Japanese sumo, while Valentina Raposo and Las Leonas will play in the brand new Oi Stadium.
We are already less than a month away from the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which keep the original name by decision of the organizers and the IOC despite the postponement. After many doubts, conflicts and rumors due to the health situation due to COVID-19, the Olympic competition is assured and with two people from Salta who will compete just hours after the Olympic flame is lit in the Japanese capital on 23 of July.
Boxer Ramón “Hormiga” Quiroga will start the preliminary round of the category up to 52 kilos (feather) on the 24th, while Valentina Raposo will debut with Las Leonas in the hockey competition on the 25th against New Zealand. Today we review the scenarios where the native of Oran and the capital will participate, who share the illusion of hanging a medal.
The Kokugikan Arena is the venue chosen for the development of the boxing program, which will have eight categories for men and five for women. The stadium is the spiritual home of sumo, the Japanese national sport. Its interior has been designed in the shape of a bowl to allow spectators to easily witness the sumo wrestling, which takes place in the center of the auditorium, no matter where they are seated.
The current building was inaugurated in 1985 and has a capacity for 11,000 people, although the official website of the Tokyo Games announces that the capacity is for 7,300 people, due to the fact that the ring occupies more space. In addition to sumo, the Kokugikan Arena hosted kick-boxing matches, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, judo and even musical concerts.
The building is located in the Ryogoku area, in Sumida, one of the 23 neighborhoods in which the metropolis of Tokyo is divided. The stadium also houses the Sumo Museum, which exhibits elements and images of the ancient Japanese practice.
Hockey headquarters
The 24 hockey teams selected (12 from each branch) will compete from July 24 at the Oi Stadium, which is located in a port area of the same name. It has a capacity for 15,000 spectators, but due to restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, only 10,000 people will be able to follow the matches daily.
This stadium is one of the structures that have been built specifically for the Tokyo Olympics and will continue to host hockey matches after the Olympic event, as well as other sporting activities. Its construction began in January 2019 and was completed in June of the same year.
Los Leones, the men’s hockey team, will begin their defense of the Olympic gold against Spain on July 24, while Las Leonas will debut on July 25 against New Zealand; The path of the Argentine girls will continue the next day against Spain, for group B.
Sustainable stadium
The hockey stadium turf is the first to be made from renewable raw materials. It was designed to support the Tokyo 2020 carbon neutral targets and the International Hockey Federation’s commitment to making the sport sustainable. Sixty percent of the grass was built from sugar cane, requiring three times less water than grass used in previous Olympics.
“We are in the middle of the ‘Gift of Hockey’ campaign and you just made a big one because the prize here is sustainability and development,” said Tayyab Ikham, Executive Director of the Asian Hockey Federation. This initiative is part of Tokyo’s ongoing efforts to use different technologies to minimize environmental impact.
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