Tokyo Olympics: Number of oath-takers increased from three to six in opening ceremony

Two words — inclusion and equality — have been added to the opening line of the Oath

The number of oath-takers at the Olympics opening ceremony has been doubled from three to six for the Tokyo Games to ensure gender parity, the IOC said while announcing that the oath has also been reworked slightly to incorporate “inclusion and equality” in it. The Olympic oath is taken by an athlete from the host county, on behalf of all the competitors and the ceremony also includes one coach and a judge. This time, Japan will pick two — one male and one female — from each group for the event, which has been an integral part of the Games since 1920. The showpiece kicks off on July 23.