Camera operator pauses on Olympics hockey coverage to film cockroach – and viewers are baffled

Television viewers watching the hockey at the Tokyo Olympics have been left baffled by a camera operator who veered away from the sport to film a close-up of a cockroach.

The Tokyo Olympic Games have been delayed by one year due to Covid-19 pandemic, and people have been eager to watch their nations compete.

However, during a women’s field hockey match between Argentina and Spain, Argentine sports television channel TyC Sports instead showed an up-close shot of a cockroach walking along instead of the action.

At the time, the game was in the balance with Argentina winning 1-0 with five minutes and twenty seconds remaining in the 4th and final quarter.

The camera operator clearly decided that the cockroach was more fascinating than the action taking place on the field and zoomed in on it following a replay.

The commentator can be heard speaking in Spanish saying “la cucaracha”.

On Twitter, one person wrote: “Olympic athletes competing at a high level? Not interested.

Cockroach waddling? Yes.”

Another said: “That roach did not need that much screen time.”

One Twitter user asked: “Why was this so funny.”

Someone else joked: “When you get a sports media job, but you’re not that into sports.”

Eventually, the camera operator got back to the sports and captured Argentina beating Spain 3-0.

The Argentinian team went on to progress in the tournament and beat hosts Japan 2-1 in their next match.