Student Blog

For the second part of our interview with APU students who volunteered at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we have Sulagna Banarjee, a fourth-year APS student from India. Unlike Maina, who applied for the volunteering role through the APU system, Sulagna individually applied and was accepted directly through the Olympic Volunteering Committee. In this interview, Sulagna shares with us some compelling insights about her longstanding dream of volunteering at the Olympics and talks us through her unique experience at the Games.

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Q. Could you tell us more about your role as a volunteer in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games? What were the specific tasks assigned to you?

I worked as a member of the Press Operations Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I was in charge of the press members for both the men and women's road cycling event, which was held at Musashinonomori Park, Tokyo. My main duty entailed verifying the people that could enter the location at the security check, supporting the photographers, reporters, and journalists throughout the event, and adequately reminding them to follow the COVID-19 infection prevention protocols and social distancing guidelines. Besides this, I also provided translation services at the check-in for members of the international press.
Although the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was not until the 23rd of July, my shift started from the 21st, as unlike some of the other events that were simply conducted in a built-in stadium, the road cycling event required the assembly of a temporary shelter to house the press members. Along with this, I was also responsible for arranging the food and water bottles for the press, checking if the Wi-Fi was working, and placing the posters and direction signs in the designated spots.

Q. What motivated you to apply for this role?

I desperately wanted to be a part of the Olympics, either as an audience member or a volunteer ever since I watched the Beijing Olympics 2008 when I was in the third grade. It was a huge thing back then because India, my home country, had won its first solo individual gold medal during this rendition of the Olympics. In due course, I started to religiously follow the Olympic games and distinctly remember watching it together with my family. The Olympics piqued my interest especially because I viewed it as a great platform that highlights other sports that usually get sidelined by the massive frenzy of cricket in India. In particular, I love badminton so I followed this Olympic event very closely. Therefore, when I came to APU in 2018 and came to know that Japan was holding the Tokyo Olympics 2020, I was very eager to apply. I even mentioned this in my college application for APU.

Q. What kinds of preparations and training had you done prior to your participation in this event?

The Olympic Volunteering Committee was very proactive in terms of the preparations and training and had already begun to contact us in 2019, though they were forced to pause in between due to the pandemic. Initially, they sent us some background information about the Olympics and how the Tokyo Olympic 2020 was going to be different. As the opening day approached, they started sending us detailed information about our tasks as well as about the procedures to get hold of our uniforms and accreditation cards. We also had in-venue training prior to the opening ceremony. Through all this, they kept us notified through a LINE group chat.

Personally, I prepared myself by organizing my schedule and fulfilling all other technical necessities like arranging the lodgings and booking the flight. I also made sure I took most of the classes in my first quarter so I could keep my second quarter free for this event.

Q. What was special about Tokyo Olympics 2020?

What made this year’s Olympics special was the ability of the organizers to conduct this global sporting event smoothly even during the wake of COVID-19. There was a lot of backlash prior to the event and many hurdles even during the event, but by the end of it all, everyone was praising the organizers for the wonderful job that they had done. Alongside this, strict protocols were implemented, wherein all volunteers had to wear masks and were provided with sanitizer, water bottles, and Vitamin C water. Volunteers were also required to constantly check their temperatures and were given free vaccinations at the vaccination spots.

Since I come from a really small town in India, called Jamsedhpur, seeing first-hand, behind the scenes of such a monumental event like the Olympics in itself was a very big thing for me. I was particularly awestruck by the efficiency of Japanese management. I can recall how stupefied I was seeing the venue for the last event being squeaky clean within 5 hours after the starting of the race.

Q. What is your final takeaway from this experience?

It was quite an unforgettable experience. After all, not many people have the privilege to say that they have volunteered at the Olympics. Seeing these athletes working for so many hours despite understanding that the chances of actually winning something are very minuscule was a very humbling and grounding feeling for me. Even seeing the organizers of the event, who were persevering through all the hardships, was quite inspiring. The Olympic Volunteering Committee was so thoughtful towards each of the participants and volunteers. Even until the last week, they were sending us emails with thank you notes and participation certificates.

Additionally, I am grateful for all the people I met and the bonds that I built during my volunteering experience. I am still in touch with my fellow volunteers and especially now, I have grown to understand that making these connections, which will last for a long time, is nothing short of a blessing. I am particularly thankful that I did not give up on this dream despite the grave circumstances.

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"Don't give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you."

Sulagna’s story truly epitomizes this quote. It highlights the importance of keeping perspective through the good times and especially the bad times, and it also reassures us that if we are willing to chase our dreams with great conviction, success will follow.