The Games people play

Former Japanese professional tennis player Shuzo Matsuoka with the Olympic torch during the lighting ceremony of the Games in Tokyo earlier this month. Pic/AFP

After a prolonged period of will-it-happen-won't-it-happen, the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth will finally get underway in Tokyo this weekend. This is a strange year for the Olympic Games. The pandemic cast a shadow over it for a long time, and even after the decision to go ahead and host it a year late was eventually taken, there were conditions put in place. There will thus be no physical contact between the athletes and fans in terms of hugs or high-fives. Sportspersons in the Olympic Village will also have to wear masks and maintain distance, with a Covid-19 clinic in place there as a precautionary measure. But these changes won't take away from the actual event of men and women displaying their sporting prowess to bring glory to their country, which has been the case ever since the modern Olympics were first held in 1896 in Athens.

So, before the Games begin, we invited two sports fans, who both happen to be musicians, to take part in this edition of Face-Off, themed on Tokyo 2020.

Read on to find out who had the last laugh.

Also Read: Harendra advises Olympic-bound hockey players to stay away from social media

Questions

1) Hockey captain Manpreet Singh and one more Olympian will be India's flag bearers at the Tokyo Olympics. Name this sportsperson.
2) Which swimmer holds the record for the most number of medals in Olympic history?
3) Which is the only city to have hosted the Olympics on three occasions?
4) Spot the odd sporting discipline from this list: Polo/Motorboating/Steeplechase.
5) Who is the reigning champion from Rio 2016 in the men's 100m sprint?

Satyajit Chatterji, 25
3/5

1) Don't know 7
2) Michael Phelps 3
3) London 3
4) Polo, since it has horses 7
5) Usain Bolt 3

Rohan Ganguli, 40
2/5

1) Don't know 7
2) Michael Phelps 3
3) Berlin 7
4) Polo, because it is not a global sport 7
5) Usain Bolt 3

Answers

1) MC Mary Kom; 2) Michael Phelps; 3) London (1908, 1948, 2012); 4) Steeplechase is a track-and-field event in the Olympics. The other two were discontinued; 5) Usain Bolt

Also Read: To ensure gender parity, India appoint Mary Kom, Manpreet Singh as flag bearers