Expectations as games of XXIII Olympiad set Paris abuzz

From today, till August 11, 2024, the best of the world’s sportsmen and women will converge on Paris and other French cities to vie for honours and global fame. CHRISTIAN OKPARA writes that while the organisers have promised a spectacle, some of the world’s best performers will be jostling for a fitting coda for the last four years of hard work.

They have come from across the world; men, women, boys and girls, to battle for honours for their countries and themselves. It is the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, which officially begins today in Paris and France’s other major cities.

The Games actually began on Wednesday with competitions in football and rugby sevens, but the official opening ceremony, signaling the commencement of ‘hostilities’, will hold today at Paris’ famous River Seine.

It is the first time the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will not hold inside the host city’s main stadium.

Team Nigeria’s contingent, led by badminton star, Anuoluwapo Opeyori and world 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan, have taken their position in the City of Light, ready to give their compatriots reasons to celebrate, even in this tough times at home.

The eye-catching opening ceremony will hold across a six-kilometre route along the Seine. It will begin at Austerlitz Bridge and end among the gardens, fountains and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.

According to the organising committee, there will be almost 100 boats carrying more than 10,000 athletes, plus a host of dignitaries, which will sail past Paris’ iconic landmarks, including Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.

The boats will transport the athletes in the parade but also be used in the artistic part of the ceremony, which will showcase the history and