Mahoor Shahzad, Pakistan's top badminton player, is set to make history as the country's first shuttler to compete in the Olympics.
On Saturday, the Karachi-based player will face Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the women's singles Group L opener (today). At 5:40 a.m. PST, the game will begin.
Mahoor, a five-time national champion, is competing in the Olympics on the basis of IOC Tripartite Commission Invitation place.
She is one of just two Pakistani players to achieve a spot on the IOC's Olympic team.
The other is weightlifter Talha Talib, who will compete on Sunday in the 67 kilogram weight category (tomorrow).
Meanwhile Pakistan fans are having lots of expectations from their contingents but the players had already flout the COVID guidelines in the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics 2020.
The Pakistani Olympic team's maskless flag bearers made a stark contrast as they marched through Tokyo's National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
While the rest of the team wore masks, the two athletes who carried their country's flag pulled their masks down as they marched. Shooter Khalil Akhtar's mask covered his mouth but not his nose, while badminton player Mahoor Shahzad's mask was under her chin. The majority of the Kyrgyz and Tajik teams were also observed at the ceremony with their faces uncovered.
Athletes, presenters, and volunteers must must wear masks at all times, according to the Tokyo 2020 playbooks and COVID-19 countermeasures.
To allow for social distancing, additional podium modules will be put between gold and silver medalists and gold and bronze medalists.
Athletes will stay on their own podium module during the entire duration of the ceremony. There will be no group photo on the gold medal podium.
Parading athletes observed physical distancing during the ceremony. The Japanese flag was the first to enter the Olympic Stadium at the start of the ceremony, followed by the light show.
Punjab's Manpreet Singh, Boxer MC Mary kom lead Indian Contingent at Opening Ceremony of Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, was seen waving the Indian flag as the Indian contingent entered the stadium
In the midst of the COVID-19 worries in Tokyo, twenty-five members of the Indian contingent attended the Opening Ceremony.