Game On: Misinformation Around 2020 Tokyo Olympics Goes Viral
BOOM lists five pieces of misinformation that went viral on social in India after the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics started on July 23, with 120 Indian athletes -- 53 women and 67 men. As the country's athletes have so far bagged two medals -- a silver in weightlifting and a bronze in badminton; misinformation around the Olympics is turning out to be a spoilsport.
From edited banners with political overtones to unrelated videos, fake news around the Olympics has gone viral.
Also Read: India At #TokyoOlympics Live Blog: India Into Women's Hockey SF
BOOM rounds up a list pieces of misinformation that have gone viral:
Indian wrestler from Haryana, Priya Malik won the World Cadet Wrestling Championship (WCWC) in Budapest, Hungary, in the 73kg category. However, given that the event coincided with the second day of the Tokyo Olympics on July 25, 2021, many on social media confused her victory as part of the latter event.
Several Twitter users congratulated her for winning the WCWC, and misleadingly added hashtags like #Tokyo #Olympics, while some others congratulated her for winning a Gold medal in the Olympics itself.
Read here: Wrestler Priya Malik Won Gold At The WCWC, Not Tokyo Olympics
2) 2015 Video From Mongolia Viral As Surya Namaskar Performance In Olympics
A 2015 video of participants performing surya namaskar (sun salutation), a sequence of 12 yoga poses, in Mongolia was viral with false claims that it shows a glimpse from Tokyo Olympics 2020.
However, BOOM found that the video documents a yoga event organised by The Art of Living Foundation in Mongolia in May 2015.
Read here: 2015 Video From Mongolia Viral As Surya Namaskar Performance In Olympics
3) Fake Aaj Tak Graphic Crediting PM Modi For India's Olympics Medal Win Goes Viral
A viral graphic claiming Hindi news channel Aaj Tak credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's first medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is morphed.
BOOM found that an old 2019 graphic by the news channel, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's possible win in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup has been edited to make the new fake claim.
Read here: Aaj Tak Graphic Crediting PM Modi For India's Olympics Medal Win Is Fake
4) Video Of Medal Mix-Up In Skating Grand Prix Shared As Tokyo Olympics
A 2019 video of a ladies free figure skating tournament in France where the third place winner was mistakenly awarded a gold medal, was going viral in India with a false claim that the mix-up took place during the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.
BOOM found that the 2019 video shows the women's award ceremony at a figure skating tournament in France where the medal mix up took place.
Read here: Video Of Medal Mix-Up In Skating Grand Prix Shared As Tokyo Olympics
5) Morphed Photo Of Poster Thanking PM Modi For Tokyo Olympics Medal Goes Viral
A viral photo of a banner by the Sports Ministry thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Mirabai Chanu's 2020 Tokyo Olympics medal win is morphed. BOOM found that the banner in the original photo did not have any text thanking PM Modi for her victory.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted the same photo on July 26, 2021, in which we can see the same banner in the background.
Read here: Photo Of Poster Thanking PM Modi For Tokyo Olympics Medal Is Morphed
Follow BOOM's Twitter thread on the misinformation around the 2020 Tokyo Olympics below:
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