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Out of touch: North Korea's state TV airs Tokyo Olympics match days after closing ceremony

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Aug 13, 2021, 04:43 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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As per the local media reports, North Korean TV aired a women's football group stage match between the United Kingdom and Chile, which was played July 21. 

The North Korean state television aired recorded footage of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Tuesday (August 10), which is almost two days after the Games were concluded. 

As per the local media reports, Korean Central Television (KCTV) aired 70 minutes of a women's football group stage match between the United Kingdom and Chile, which was played on July 21. 

It is still not clear how the footage was obtained, but the reports have mentioned that the video was without any commentary and the quality was also poor. 

Another match between China and Brazil was also expected to air, but there is no information available yet. 

However, for North Korea, it is not unusual for such delays in the coverage of the Olympics or other international sports. Most of the time, the events are delayed by weeks and sometimes even by years. 

During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the state-run media covered the games four days after the opening ceremony. 

It is imperative to note that North Korea did not send any delegation to the Tokyo Games citing the threat posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A website for the nation's Ministry of Sport had mentioned that North Korea would not compete to protect its athletes "from the global public health crisis." 

This happened for the first time in 33 years, as previously North Korea skipped the Summer Olympics in 1988. Although, as a nation, the athletes have performed well at Olympics, winning 57 medals including 16 golds. 

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 concluded on August 8 as one of the "most challenging" Games in history owing to not one, but multiple uncertainties the multi-sport event faced, such as the Covid pandemic, brutal temperatures, etc.