Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Paris Olympics 2024 got off to a glittering start with a stunning opening ceremony that celebrated unity in diversity. The city of Paris turned into a colossal amphitheater, and the iconic river Seine served as a track for the athletes’ parade as France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship, and architectural heritage in a riveting opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games on Julu 26.
The Indian contingent was led by two flag-bearers — two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal and was 84th on the call sheet. The women in the contingent were draped in sarees, while the men sported the traditional ‘kurta-payjama’ in the colours of the national flag.
The spectacle started with a dreamy break from tradition as the ‘Parade of Nations’ kicked off the proceedings in which athletes from 205 countries and one refugee team sailed down the Seine on boats despite heavy rain, in the run-up to and during the ceremony, threatening to play spoilsport.
The ceremony also gave a sweet tribute to ‘Hindi’ as it was among the six languages used in infographics to pay tribute to the contribution of prominent French women during the segment titled ‘sisterhood’.
The show began with camera panning to French President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach after World Cup-winning football legend Zinedine Zidane was shown sprinting down the streets of Paris with the Olympic flame in a pre-recorded video. The six kilometer parade began from Austerlitz bridge and 85 boats carried more than 6800 athletes amid loud cheers from the gathered crowd. The sequence of arrivals followed the French alphabetical order. The first to arrive was the Greek contingent, for being the spiritual home of the Games, followed by the Refugee team.
