News Karnataka
Friday, March 29 2024
Cricket
Olympics

Paris 2024: Number of opening ceremony spectators still unclear

Paris 2024 Number of opening ceremony spectators still unclear
Photo Credit : IANS

Paris: How many people will be able to watch the first ever outdoor opening ceremony of an Olympic Games on site in the summer next year? The answer is still unclear, as France’s Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin talked about “hundreds of thousands of people” when asked that question.

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games will start at 8:24 pm (local time) on July 26, 2024, and will last three hours, confirmed Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet in a press conference, as the French government, the organising committee and the French capital’s mayor signed a security protocol on Tuesday, reports Xinhua.

Some 116 boats will be hired to transport over 10,000 athletes, sailing six kilometers from Pont d’Austerlitz to the Pont d’Iena, with several iconic monuments such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower serving as a backdrop.

Around 100,000 tickets will be sold for exclusive riverside positions with a price of up to 2,700 euros. Those who wish to watch the open-air gala for free will need to pre-register for tickets.

“We think that a very large number of people who want to see these Olympics will be able to do so in complete safety,” Darmanin said about the pre-register policy, though the exact figure remains unclear.

The organisers initially expected a total number of 600,000 places, but in February, Valerie Pecresse, public transportation chief of the Ile-de France region, demanded that the figure was cut to “less than 500,000”, citing “insufficient transport capacity.”

Since then, behind the scenes, several political and police sources have mentioned a figure of 400,000 to French media. On May 16, Minister of Sports Amelie Oudea-Castera also mentioned a gauge “around 400,000”, still to be refined.

Darmanin, in charge of Olympic security, answered with vague words on Tuesday, saying “hundreds of thousands” of spectators will sit on the high quays to watch the grand show.

Regarding the security forces, 37,000 members will be deployed, including 2,000-3,000 private security agents on duty for the opening ceremony. Darmanin also said that personal leave would be cancelled for police personnel for the duration of the Games, which run from July 26 to August 11.

Darmanin stressed that drones were considered the biggest security threat, but he added air defence technology was available and would be trialled later this year during the Rugby World Cup in France.

“It’s a new threat. It’s not certain that anything will happen but it is certainly the most difficult to prepare for,” he said.

Read more:

IOC president Bach prioritises virtual sports for Olympics

Olympics, CWG, now World Cup: India ready to rock and roll

SAI appoints six foreign coaches for athletics till Paris Olympics

ICC reaffirms commitment to bid for cricket’s inclusion in Olympics

India among aspiring hosts for Olympics in 2036 and beyond: IOC chief

Share this:
MANY DROPS MAKE AN OCEAN
Support NewsKarnataka's quality independent journalism with a small contribution.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

To get the latest news on WhatsApp