Olympics: Sindhu, Sharath Kamal to lead Indian contingent as history beckons on river Seine

Paris, July 25 (FN Agency) The Paris 2024 Olympics will officially flag off with a historic Opening Ceremony on the river Seine on Friday. India will be a part of the momentous occasion. The Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will start at 11:00 PM IST and will be available for live streaming and telecast in India. For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony will not be conducted inside a stadium. The traditional Parade of Nations will take place along the river Seine, which flows through the heart of the historic French capital. In a first-of-its-kind ceremony, over 10,000 Olympic athletes travelling on around a 100 boats will cruise through Seine and pass through some of Paris’ iconic destinations, including the Notre Dame, Pont des Arts, Pont Neuf and more, the official sources said. The floating parade will depart from the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes and end at the Trocadéro, where the remaining elements of Olympic protocol and final shows will take place. The program is scheduled to last more than three hours. Thomas Jolly, a French theatre director and actor, is overseeing the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies as artistic director.

Badminton star PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, and table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal, set to feature in his fifth Olympics, will lead the Indian contingent at the Parsi 2024 Parade of Nations. Both will become the first from their respective sport to be India’s flag-bearers at an Olympic Opening Ceremony. The Indian contingent returned with seven medals at Tokyo 2020, including its first-ever Athletics gold, courtesy of javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. In Paris, a total of 112 athletes from the country will compete in 69 medal events across 16 sports. Five reserve athletes will also be in Paris. At the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, the Indian men will be dressed in kurta bundi sets while the women will don matching saris, reflecting India’s tricolour flag. The outfits, featuring traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, have been designed by Tarun Tahiliani. Fans can watch the live telecast of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony on the Sports18 1 SD and Sports18 1 HD TV channels in India.