Tokyo 2020 Olympics Notebook - Day 15

Funky toilets that offer great experience

******

One of the things that strike a first-timer to Japan will most certainly be the funky toilets here.

A lot of thought has been put into developing these toilets that play music, wash their “client” clean with some even fitted with designer perfumes to make sure you leave the little room more confidently, and smelling better, than when you entered.

A console on the toilet seat has various buttons with some even capable of accommodating a music play list! Little wonder people spend a lot of time in these toilets.

Friendly fire in boxing media centre

******
After Kenya’s Christine Ongare lost to Irish Magno of the Philipines in yesterday’s flyweight bout at the Kokugikan Arena, there was some banter at the venue media centre with my colleague and friend Alex Isaboke from Capital FM throwing some jabs at a proud Pilipino journalist.

“Let’s meet at Sapporo during the marathon and we see how Philippines performs,” Isaboke charged.

And before the journalist could respond, Isaboke threw a farewell jab. “Say hallo to Pacquaio,” he parted, referring to Pilipino professional fighter and politician Manny Pacquaio, one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Sports unites global journalists here

******

Our little hotel in Ginza area is largely occupied by journalists from Europe, us being the only ones from Africa. Naturally, there’s a language barrier between us.

But sport has been the unifying factor. When you bump into a Bulgarian scribe, to kick off conversation you merely mention a top Bulgarian sports star, like footballers Hristo Stoichkov or Dimitar Berbatov, and you immediately strike a rapport.

The most popular ice-breakers for the non-English-speaking journalists are “Hakuna matata” and Eliud Kipchoge. The older generation will mention Paul Tergat. Indeed, our sportsmen and women are our greatest ambassadors!