The Olympic torch handover ceremony leading up to the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to take place on 19 March.

The relay procedure will begin with the torch lighting in Olympia, at the site of the ancient Olympic Games on 12 March and end in Japan on the 20th of the same month while the opening ceremony of the much anticipated Tokyo Olympics takes place on 24July.

The Olympic flame is ceremonially lit months in advance of the Games and travels the world.

For the first time in modern history, the ceremony will be held without children due to the novel coronavirus, Reuters reported.

The announcement was made by Yoshiro Mori, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee.

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