Paris all set for a spectacular Opening Ceremony in heart of the city
Ali and Mazoon named as Oman’s flag bearers for opening ceremony
Oman’s young sprinter Ali al Balushi and the female runner Mazoon al Alawi named as the flag bearers of the Sultanate of Oman during the opening ceremony of the 33rd edition of the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Friday at Seine River in the heart of capital city of France in Paris. The Omani pair will share the honour in the Paris Olympics March where each team have to represent both genders as flagbearer.
It will be a unique edition of Olympic Games that hosting the opening ceremony will take place outside the main stadium. As more than 7,000 athletes representing various countries will participate through sailing on 94 boats and ferries over a six-kilometer stretch from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Iena Bridge on the Seine river. It is expected that over 500,000 people will watch the event live from designated areas and nearby balconies and apartments in Paris.
The official opening will be attended by numerous top dignitaries including French President Emmanuel Macron beside several president and representatives of different countries across the world, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and various sports figures. The ceremony which will begin at 8:30 PM Oman time (6:30 PM France time), will also see the presence of Omani officials including Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed al Zubair, Chairman of Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) and head of Oman’s delegation, HE Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Oman’s Ambassador to France Ahmed bin Mohammed al Oraimi and other members of the (OOC).
The Omani flag bearers will be joined by members of the sports delegation, national team representatives and technical and administrative staff. The opening ceremony will include the traditional parade of athletes, the lighting of the Olympic flame and various expected cultural performances reflecting French heritage along with fireworks, light shows and musical acts.
Oman’s sports delegation arrived at the Olympic Village late on Thursday. The athletics and swimming teams joined the shooting team which had arrived earlier on Wednesday. The administrative delegation had already completed all necessary entry procedures. Ali bin Salim al Busaidi, Chef De Mission of Oman delegation, welcomed the national team representatives at Paris Airport and the Olympic Village.
Al Khatri gears up at Châteauroux Shooting Center
Oman’s shooter Said Ali al Khatri is underway in his daily intensively preparation since his arrival in Paris earlier this week. Under the guidance of Italian coach Luca Marini, the national shooting team opted for an early arrival to train for Al Khatri’s historic first Olympic participation. Al Khatri has been practicing with his rifle at the Châteauroux Shooting Center which is located 200 kilometers south of Paris and it is the largest facility of its kind in Europe. This early preparation has provided him with valuable additional experience. This year marks the first time Olympic shooters are allowed to train at the venue more than ten days before the competitions start.
Al Khatri will make his Olympic debut and he will kick off Oman’s participation by competing in the preliminary rounds of the Men’s Trap Shooting event on Monday and Tuesday at the same venue. Shooters will be divided into groups and compete in multiple rounds over two days, with the top performers advancing to the finals and competing for Olympic medals.
On the other hand, the athletics and swimming teams will start their training programs on Saturday as road closures for the opening ceremony prevent them from training on Friday. Swimmer Issa al Adawi will has his first official training session at the Paris Aquatics Center under the supervision of Tunisian coach Amer bin Ruqia. Sprinter Ali Anwar al Balushi and runner Mazoon Khalfan al Alawi will start their official training at de France Stadium under the guidance of national coach Fahd Khalfan al Mishaykhi.
Issa Al Adawi will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event on Tuesday while Mazoon Al Alawi will participate in the 100 m event on August 2 and will be followed by Ali Al Balushi’s debut in the same category on August 3 at the same venue.
Omani athletes aim to showcase their capabilities and achieve personal and national records despite the expected tough competition.
