Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies (TIAS 2.0), University of Tsukuba

2021

A tiny cog in the Olympic and Paralympic broadcasting giant wheel
Tanmoy Mookherjee, currently pursuing MA in Sport and Olympic Studies (TIAS 2.0) at theUniversity of Tsukuba
September 13, 2021

Broadcasting the biggest sporting spectacle in the world is a colossal task, one that brings people thetrials and tribulations of athletes to the homes of people all over the world. Live television is anintegral part of a sporting event, and the resulting images that create a lasting legacy inspiring
people over generations. Each Olympic Games have had their own moment that has gone onto
define the event for years to come. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games produced
sporting moments that will define its legacy for the city and the world of sports in equal measure.
After a year-long delay, worsening COVID-19 conditions and restrictions arising thereof,
behind closed doors and budgets going overboard, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
concluded with a dazzling display of fireworks at the National Stadium in the Japanese capital onSunday.
As the athletes return to their respective countries after putting in their best effort in Tokyo,
my classmates (at the Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies-TIAS 2.0) and I returned tothe University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba campus with an experience of a lifetime. For students like me,living and studying in Japan, the Broadcast Training Programme (BTP) of the Olympic Broadcasting
Services (OBS) turned out to be a unique opportunity to contribute towards the successful deliveryof the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
The opportunity to be part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games came through this BTP
initiative of the OBS, which in partnership with global HR major Pasona Inc., created a special
programme to train local university students with hands-on experience, and employ them for thebroadcast operations of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Olympic Broadcasting Services or OBS is the host broadcast organisation for the Olympic andParalympic Games, which is responsible for the production of the live coverage of the Games on
television, radio and digital platforms around the world, which includes the competitions as well as
the opening and closing ceremonies.
Broadcasting mega sporting events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a massive
operation which requires a central hub called the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in the hostcity which serves as the home for the OBS as well as the numerous rights-holding broadcasters,
offering them physical spaces for studios, offices as well as production control rooms which is thentransmitted around the world. In a world where movement was severely restricted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and as spectators were barred from watching Tokyo 2020 in the stadiums, theimages produced from these Games were even more critical.
The opportunity to join the BTP programme, much like other university students around
Japan, was introduced to us at the University of Tsukuba as well, which was too good to pass up on.
Even though past batches were part of the workshops for the BTP as the Olympic and Paralympic
Games were originally scheduled for 2020, the current batch of students (TIAS 2.0) was encouraged
to apply for it as well.
TIAS, was established in 2014 as part of the event legacy for Tokyo 2020, to foster the next
generation of sports professionals at the University of Tsukuba, a short distance away from Tokyo.
Legacy is an important aspect in the organisation of the Olympic Games; as such initiatives areintended for the long-term benefit of the host city as well as the society that inhabits it.
Requested / Edited by : Prof. Randeep Rakwal, TIAS 2.0 for TIAS 2.0 WEBSITE – INFORMATION = https://tias.tsukuba.ac.jp/tias2/ 1Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies (TIAS 2.0), University of Tsukuba

2021

The Master's Program in Sport and Olympic Studies established within the TIAS program was
one such academic legacy initiative, and students from the world over have benefited from theprogram by specialising in different aspects of sports, including Olympic and Paralympic Education,
Sport Science and Medicine, Sport Management, Sport for Development and Peace as well as
Teaching, Coaching and Japanese Culture.
Applying to the BTP programme
Applying for the BTP programme online was a routine task of filling out individual details on online
forms and submitting to the organisation, which then called back students they found suited to thevarious roles. The interview process was organised by HR professionals from BTP and OBS, who had
the unique and daunting task of hiring and placing thousands of students in different roles across thevarious Olympic and Paralympic venues based on individual preferences and interview responses.
Venues and role(s)Having had a background in journalism and media operations before, I was looking forward to thisopportunity and was assigned to the Games Services team at the Yokohama Stadium, venue for thesoftball and baseball competitions during the Olympic Games. My experience at the Games wasdivided into two different roles, as I initially assisted the Broadcast Logistics Manager of the venue inlooking after the broadcast areas within the stadium, and joined up with the liaison team to assist
the rights-holding broadcasters (RHBs) covering the event, as well as the ENG crews (electronic newsgathering) in different areas of the stadium.
Broadcasting operations consist of several departments within the vertical, which involve
backend work such as the setting up of the broadcasting compound and areas within thedepartment: various work rooms, catering areas, technical operations offices, commentary rooms
and positions, etc. Front-end services include servicing the external media areas or field of playpositions where multiple cameras are set up to capture the sporting action, media stands and otherareas.

Baseball – A typical mixed zone with Japan's baseball players doing
interviews after winning the Olympic gold medal in the men's baseballcompetition at the Yokohama Stadium.
Yokohama Stadium - Settling into the Yokohama Stadium as a member of
the Games Services department in the Olympic Broadcasting Services.

The smooth running and delivery of the softball and baseball competitions allowed some of
the crew to be called back for the Paralympic Games, which were held two weeks after theRequested / Edited by : Prof. Randeep Rakwal, TIAS 2.0 for TIAS 2.0 WEBSITE – INFORMATION = https://tias.tsukuba.ac.jp/tias2/ 2

Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies (TIAS 2.0), University of Tsukuba

2021

conclusion of the Olympics. The two-week gap between the events is usually to tweak the venues tomake them ready for the Para-sports the venues are designated to host, as they need to be madeaccessible as well as suited to athletes with different forms of disabilities.
The Makuhari Messe exhibition hall in the city of Chiba was a cluster of three different
venues assigned for goalball, sitting volleyball, wheelchair fencing and para-taekwondo, and I was
assigned to assist the liaison manager at the three latter sports. The reduced number of workforce
for the Paralympics meant being assigned more responsibility in the liaison department, whichlooked after the interviews conducted by broadcasters upon the completion of matches in thesevenues.

Sitting Volleyball mixed zone – Players fromthe Germany and Brazil men's sitting volleyball teams
doing interviews with broadcasters after the end of
their preliminary match at the Makuhari Messe
exhibition hall during the Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair Fencing – Broadcasters interview athletes fromthe men's wheelchair fencing competition in the mixed zone
during the Paralympic Games at the Makuhari Messe exhibitionhall.

In hindsight
While the hours were long and delivering the Games during a pandemic posing its own set ofchallenges, the moving images that were produced from each of these venues as an end productwas the result of the excellent teams working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that thecompetitions went on without any disruptions or hindrances. And as the fireworks disappeared into
the night sky during the glittering closing ceremony, members from the different teams working
across the venues went back to their respective countries, cities and colleges with new friendships
and memories that will last a lifetime.

Requested / Edited by : Prof. Randeep Rakwal, TIAS 2.0 for TIAS 2.0 WEBSITE – INFORMATION = https://tias.tsukuba.ac.jp/tias2/ 3