HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) - Japanese gamers wore black armbands of their Women’s World Cup opener towards Zambia on Saturday following the demise of Fumiko Tottori, the mom of Japanese Princess Takamado.

The princess is the honorary patron of the Japan Football Association, and her mom, Tottori, 96, died Tuesday in Tokyo. FIFA granted the affiliation’s request to put on the bands as a tribute.

The Japanese group wore the armbands days after New Zealand and Norway held a second of silence forward of the event’s opening match after two males had been killed in a capturing in downtown Auckland.

Before the event, FIFA introduced it will allow group captains to put on eight specifically designed armbands unveiled earlier this month.

The eight armband designs had been primarily based on anti-discriminatory themes together with inclusivity towards Indigenous peoples, ending home violence and creating gender equality.

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AP Women’s World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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