Olympic torch relay may be held without spectators

The starting ceremony for this month's Olympic torch relay will likely be held without spectators, a Japanese newspaper reported Tuesday, but fans will still be able to line the route.

The Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported that organisers fear crowding at the March 25 event in Fukushima, and will probably bar the 3,000 spectators initially planned.

Tokyo 2020 organisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, which cited an unnamed source.

The organisers have already laid out strict rules for the virus-delayed, nationwide relay, which was called off in 2020 after the historic decision to postpone the Games by a year.

Also Read | Waiting for Tokyo: How 1,10,000 Olympic volunteers put their lives on hold

Cheering along the relay route will be strictly banned, and people are asked to only attend sections near their homes and avoid crowding.

Mask-wearing will be mandatory, and spectators are asked to offer "support with applause and by using distributed goods rather than shouting or cheering".

Portions of the relay could also be suspended if there is overcrowding.

Organisers are battling persistent doubts about whether the Games can be held safely this summer and have unveiled a rulebook with various virus countermeasures.

They are set to decide this month on whether foreign fans will be able to attend, with limits on overall spectator numbers to be set next month.