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PARIS: A delegation from the Sultanate of Oman attended the historic opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games (Paris 2024) on the Seine River in the heart of the French capital on Friday.
The four-hour event attracted many dignitaries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and other heads of state and representatives, as well as a large number of public spectators.
The official opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Khalid Mohammed al Zubair, President of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) and Chef de Mission of Oman to Paris 2024. Also present were Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Ahmed bin Mohammed al Oraimi, Oman’s Ambassador to France, and several members of the Oman Olympic Committee’s Board of Directors.
Members of the Omani sports delegation also attended the opening ceremony, proudly wearing traditional Omani clothing and holding the Omani flag.
The Omani delegation was on the same ship as the New Zealand, Uganda and Pakistan delegations.
The flag bearers, first-time Olympian Ali Anwar al Balushi and female sprinter Mazoon al Alawi, making her third consecutive appearance at the Games, had the honour of carrying the Omani flag as athletes paraded by boat during the opening ceremony.
“It is a historic moment for me to be selected as the flag bearer for the national delegation. I enjoyed a historic and pivotal moment in my sporting career and was very happy after qualifying directly for the Olympics, but I was even happier when I was selected as the flag bearer for this high-profile sporting event. I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the officials of the Oman Olympic Committee for selecting me and my teammate Mazoon Alaoui,” said sprinter Ali.
Mazoon Alaoui was also proud to raise the Omani flag at the official ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Omani delegation shines at Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony
“I have participated in two Olympics before but this time was different as I had the privilege of being one of the flag bearers for Oman. The atmosphere at the opening ceremony was incredible and the rain added an extra beauty to the event. I did not expect the official opening of the Olympics to be like this as we are used to it being held at the main stadium. However, the organisers held the opening ceremony outside the main stadium while we were on a boat, which was a brilliant move,” she added.
Mazoun will start the 100m event at the French Track and Field Championships on August 2. “I will try my best in the upcoming competitions,” she added.
Opening Ceremony
The 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony featured a rich program and brilliant performances. In the rain, the opening ceremony lasted for about four hours on the banks of the Seine.
The route of the Olympic Games’ fleet parade is different from previous ones, integrating the athletes’ entry parade with various artistic elements. Athletes from all over the world boarded more than 85 ships and ferries to cross Paris from east to west, proudly raising the flags of their respective countries in the six-kilometer fleet parade.
Over half a million people watched the ceremony live from dedicated viewing areas approved by the Organising Committee, as well as from balconies and apartments overlooking the river, enjoying a truly delightful celebration.
The ceremony featured several French sports stars and legends, including French soccer star Zinedine Zidane, as well as other athletes such as Americans Carl Lewis and Serena Williams, Romanian Nadia Comaneci and Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
Shooter says he is ready for training
Saeed Al Khatri, a shooter for the National Shooting Team, began his official training today (Sunday) at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre. The Organising Committee has allocated time in the morning for all the men’s skeet shooting competitors to practice at the main shooting range, which provides a valuable opportunity for the shooters to train and adapt to the shooting range before the official competitions start tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday).
The domestic shooter will start the competition in the qualifying round of the men’s skeet event. “I arrived in France early and had an excellent training session over the past few days. It was an amazing experience to train with shooters from different countries. This is my first Olympic experience and it is a great motivation for me to give my best in this historic event and to honor my beloved country. Arriving at the shooting range early helped a lot in adapting to the atmosphere of the competition and getting familiar with the weapons. In addition, I am more adaptable to weather conditions and other natural factors. I am looking forward to setting the highest record,” he concluded.
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