S Kannan in Paris
Nightmare. That one word had summed up the mood before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, which got underway formally in the French capital on Friday evening. Anxiety, stress and high-speed rail network hit by “acts of vandalism” — this country had to deal with all this, before the showpiece event sprung to life along the river Seine. French President Emanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach hugged each other. It was more than just symbolic.
Friday morning was one of chaos, as the train network within France — regarded as efficient — came to a screeching halt. There was vandalism and burning of electric cables of rail network away from the host city. Speculation was rife who would have wanted to indulge in this madness.
In troubled times, when Russia is unhappy that the IOC does not allow it to compete in the Games, they have been named by the British media as possible spoilsports. But then, France and its own political establishment preferred not to indulge in anything sensational. They have not named anyone till now.
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Yes, the disruption of rail network had messed up plans of Parisians going on a long holiday over the weekend. Not many were planning to stay back and watch the opening ceremony. As many as 8,00,00 passengers were affected, amid rail network disruptions within France and Eurostar.
Inside Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to Trocadero, the mood was one of celebration and joy. Before that, to see cops and defence forces in all colours and looking serious was intimidating. Screening, frisking and multiple identity checks were the norm of the day, even as the main areas in the city, which should have been buzzing with activity from morning, looked deserted.
To get into the viewing zones was the challenge, as the seats along the river Seine had been marked out. Frisking and much more, plus identity checks, including of those who had accreditation cards, this was security at a different level.
That tens of thousands were ready to face the hardships and come to the points of viewing along the 6km stretch along the Seine was a victory for sports lovers. Fans who love sport did not get intimidated by violence and destruction of public property in a city like Marseille, which is linked with Paris by high-speed rail. This is what the Olympics does, it brings out emotions not seen often. After the Tokyo Games held amid a lockdown, the Paris Olympics had to be celebrated. And what a way it began on Friday, not in a stadium packed to the rafters, but outdoor and engaging!
Unique would be a mild word to narrate how the opening ceremony was conceptualised by the Frenchmen who decided to be bold, brave and innovative. The Seine had been cursed for being dirty, polluted and full of bacteria. Perhaps, the first sign of it being clean was when the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, dived into the river, swam and came out smiling, a few days ago. The flora and fauna in the river are intact, and there is nothing dangerous about it. That was the message from the dip the Mayor took. That same spirit was on view on Friday during the opening ceremony, which was near midnight, India time.
As the national teams came along in boats, there was joy and cheering all along. First up was Greece, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, comprising 36 athletes from 11 countries. By the time the Indian boat came along, fans had already got a glimpse of the dress the Indian athletes wore. Each one looked natty, from flag-bearer PV Sindhu to Sharath Kamal, Chef de Mission Gagan Narang to badminton legend Prakash Padukone. In all, 78 athletes from 12 disciplines were part of the Indian contingent on view.
Action in the Olympics has already begun, from archery to football. On Saturday, shooting, hockey, tennis and many more events will be on in full swing till the closing ceremony on August 11. Yet, all those who came for the opening ceremony in Paris went back soaking some historic stuff in the form of a memorable opening ceremony and rains.
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