Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony Highlights: Naomi Osaka lights Olympic cauldron as Games open

Indonesian contingent is next and after that, is the East African nation of Uganda.

Manpreet Singh and Mary Kom lead out India's contingent at the opening ceremony parade. Their biggest contingent yet.

Iran next

Israel up next

Continuing with countries beginning with 'I', Italy make their way out

Andorra, a two-member team, are next

Yemen's contingent walk out next

Antigua and Barbuda, with six athletes, make their way out next.

Armenia and Angola enter the parade next

Aruba enter the parade next

At no.11 are Albania

Argentina athletes come out dancing, enjoying themselves.

UAE and the Algerian contingent follow

Afghanistan contingent walks out, with their only female athlete as one fo the flag bearers

They are followed by Ireland- Kellie Harrington and Brendan Irvine are the

Followed by Azerbaijan

Then Olympic Refugee team makes it way out.

They are followed by Iceland

The Greece contingent makes it way out first. A total of 83 athletes. Anna Korakaki and Eleftherios Petrounias - who compete in shooting and artistic gymnastics respectively - are the flag bearers.

Orchestra performs to the movements of the athletes. A video montage is being played as each and every beat matches the movements of the athletes

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, A Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, receives the Olympic Laureal!

And slowly, through melody and dancing, the Olympic rings assemble and we have a round of fireworks again

Here come the Olympic Rings, entering the stadium.

As previously pointed out, they are made of wood taken from trees planted by athletes of the Olympic Games of Tokyo 1964.

Each ring is four metres in diameter. They are accompanied by paper lanterns.

Now, we have dancers dressed as carpenters performing a special dance sequence. The world will be in sync much like these artists for the next 17 days as they celebrate Tokyo 2020.

Next up, tap dancing takes centre stage, performing his own choreography.

A special segment now being performed to pay tribute to those we lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now a moment of silence will be observed. Respect is paid to Olympians who have passed on. Special mention for the Israeli athletes, who lost their lives during the attack in the 1972 Munich Olympics. A moment of silence is observed in respect of those who were part of the Olympic movement and aren't there anymore.

'MOVING FORWARD'

National anthem of Japan is now being sung and will be hosted by Japan's self-defense forces. Japanese singer songwriter MISIA performs a beautiful rendition of the Japanese national anthem - "Kimigayo".

Japan just recognised the massive role that healthcare workers have played, not just in the organisation of these Games, but in helping the people of the country battle the Covid-19 pandemic, by including one of them during the flag hoisting ceremony during the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony. It is a great sign of the tough times we are living in and what we owe to

The Japanese national flag brought out first. It is carried by:

MIYAKE Yoshinobu, two-time Olympic champion, weightlifting

TAKAHASHI Naoko, Olympic champion, marathon

TABATA Momoha, Youth Olympic Games medallist, curling

SAKAI Hibiki, percussionist

DOHI Keita, Youth Olympic Games champion, sport climbing

ASABA Mizuki, rescue worker

The emperor and IOC president Thomas Bach arrive