The opening parade will feature a procession of barges carrying nearly 7,000 athletes along the River Seine past Paris’s famous landmarks.
By EasternEyeJul 26, 2024
The Olympics officially kick off on Friday with an opening ceremony in the heart of Paris. However, an attack by vandals targeting France's high-speed TGV rail network has exposed security risks at a time when all eyes are on the country.
The coordinated actions by saboteurs disrupted some of France's busiest rail lines. Paris 2024 confirmed that the Olympics opening ceremony would go ahead as planned. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The incidents took place far from Paris at a time when a massive security operation was being implemented in the capital for the opening ceremony. This operation involves around 45,000 police officers and thousands of soldiers, drawing security resources from across France.
The opening parade will feature a procession of barges carrying nearly 7,000 athletes along the River Seine past Paris's famous landmarks, while more than 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks.
The Eiffel Tower decorated with the Olympic rings for the Paris Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
Since the last Games - the Winter Olympics held in Beijing in 2022 - wars have erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a highly tense international backdrop. France is at its highest level of security, though officials have repeatedly stated there is no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.
As part of a vast security operation, authorities have used powers granted by an anti-terrorism law, placing 155 people under surveillance measures that strictly limit their movement, according to official data and a Reuters review of cases.
Meanwhile, Israeli competitors are being escorted by elite tactical units to and from events and given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics, officials say. Scores of world leaders will be in Paris for the opening ceremony, which will be protected by snipers on rooftops. The Seine's riverbed has been swept for bombs, and Paris's airspace will be closed.
For the Games more generally, radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will monitor sensitive sites from above, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace. "Everything is ready," French president Emmanuel Macron said in a video he posted on X. "Even the (Olympics) rings are there," he said, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. "Enjoy the Games!"
Macron, who won a second mandate two years ago, had hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy. However, his failed bet on a snap legislative election has weakened him and cast a shadow over his moment on the international stage.
High security has also prompted much grumbling among Parisians after police imposed a security zone along the river ahead of the opening ceremony, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighbourhoods and requiring authorisation - passes with QR codes - to enter.
This photograph shows a peniche on the Seine river on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris on July 25. (Photo: Getty Images)
Cafés along the banks of the Seine, which normally buzz with activity in the summer, have been left very quiet due to the restrictions. This has not helped lift the national mood over the Olympics, which Macron hopes will improve once the Games have properly started.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine means Moscow's usually large delegation of athletes has been reduced to 15 who met and accepted eligibility requirements to compete as neutrals, according to a list published by the International Olympic Committee on July 20. Belarus will send 17 athletes competing as neutrals. Ukraine is sending 140 athletes - its smallest contingent since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Starting at 7.30pm (6.30pm UK time), in broad daylight, the ceremony, which marks the official start of the Paris 2024 Games, will pass by many of the French capital's beloved landmarks, including the Louvre museum and Pont des Arts bridge.
"We're going to take advantage of all the historic monuments around the Seine, and there won't be a single riverbank or bridge that won't be filled with music, dance, or performance," the ceremony's choreographer Maud Le Pladec has said.
It will be the first time that an opening ceremony has taken place outside a stadium. Details have been kept secret, including some of the artists taking part, and who will be the last to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the Games.
The artistic team said they had been rehearsing in private to keep it all under wraps. One big unknown for the open-air ceremony is the weather. It is currently forecast to be cloudy, while organisers were hoping there would be a "golden hour" of sunset lighting up buildings midway through the ceremony.
More than 10,500 athletes will compete at the Olympics, 100 years since Paris last staged the Games. The competition started on Wednesday and the first of the 329 gold medals will be awarded on Saturday. The closing ceremony will take place on August 11.
INDIA batting great Rahul Dravid has stepped down as head coach of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals after just one season with them, the franchise said on Saturday (30).
Dravid, 52, was offered a "broader position" after a structural review of the team set-up but the former Indian captain declined the offer, the franchise said in a statement.
"Head coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026," it said.
Dravid had returned to the team as head coach ahead of this year's T20 tournament, but Rajasthan failed to make the playoffs and ended a dismal ninth in the 10-team table.
"Rahul has been central to the Royals' journey over many years," the inaugural IPL champions said.
"His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise."
Dravid first joined Rajasthan as a player in 2011 and captained them for two seasons in 2012 and 2013.
The announcement comes amid rumours that captain Sanju Samson also wants to leave the franchise. Should Samson also depart, it would leave the Royals in a challenging position just months before the mini-auction.
He served as a team director in 2014 and as mentor a year later. Dravid scored 13,288 runs in 164 Test matches in a glittering career before hanging his boots in 2012.
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Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the first one-day international (ODI) cricket match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on July 2, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
SRI LANKA have picked Wanindu Hasaranga in their Twenty20 squad for the Asia Cup next month though the all-rounder has been ruled out of the tour of Zimbabwe as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Hasaranga sustained the injury during the home series against Bangladesh in July and the injury will keep him out of Sri Lanka's limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe beginning on Friday (29).
A leg-spinner who is also a handy batter down the order, Hasaranga will replace Dushan Hemantha from the squad in Zimbabwe.
Apart from Hasaranga, Sri Lanka will have strong spin options in Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana.
Angelo Mathews, who quit test cricket earlier this year but remains available in shorter formats, did not make the cut for the 16-member Asia Cup squad led by Charith Asalanka.
Another ex-captain, Dasun Shanaka, has been picked as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
The six-time champions will begin their Group B campaign against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 13.
INDIA and England have named their squads for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, with several surprise selections and omissions, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament.
India’s squad announcement brought disappointment for explosive opener Shafali Verma, who was left out after a poor run of form. The 21-year-old, who last played a oneday international in October 2024, has managed just one half-century in six innings for India A.
Women’s team chief selector Neetu David insisted the door remained open for Verma, saying: “She’s in the system, not like she’s not. We’ve got our eyes on her. Hope she plays a lot more and garners experience, it’ll help serve India in the 50-overs format.”
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member Indian squad as they seek their first World Cup title after reaching two previous finals. “We didn’t want to make a lot of changes, we wanted continuity,” said Kaur, who will be leading India in the World Cup for the first time.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
The selectors welcomed back medium-pace bowler Renuka Thakur after a lengthy injury lay-off, adding experience to an attack that will be crucial on home pitches. India’s campaign begins on September 30, and they will warm up with three ODI matches against Australia.
England’s squad features the return of former captain Heather Knight despite her not playing since damaging her hamstring in May. Current coach Charlotte Edwards expressed her delight at Knight’s inclusion, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to select her. She’ll be a huge asset for us.”
However, experienced seamer Kate Cross has been left out as England adapt their strategy for subcontinental conditions. Edwards has included four specialist spinners – Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean, and the returning Sarah Glenn – expecting plenty of turn on Indian and Sri Lankan pitches.
England enter the tournament seeking to end an eightyear drought since their last ODI World Cup triumph on home soil in 2017. They underperformed badly at last year’s T20 World Cup and will be eager to make amends. The announcements come as organisers scramble to relocate matches originally scheduled for Bengaluru in India following safety concerns at the city’s stadium.
The opening match between cohosts India and Sri Lanka will now take place in Guwahati instead of Bengaluru, after the International Cricket Council cited “unforeseen circumstances” for moving games away from Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue change follows a tragic incident in June when 11 cricket fans died during celebrations for IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with supporters as young as 14 crushed to death outside the stadium gates. A judicial commission subsequently deemed the ground “unsafe” to host large crowds.
The tournament faces logistical challenges beyond the Bengaluru venue change. Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise arrangement, while the final will now be held in either Mumbai or Colombo rather than the originally planned Bengaluru.
England squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (CK), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
The 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup runs till November 2, with Mumbai now joining the list of Indian venues alongside Guwahati and other cities, plus Colombo in Sri Lanka.
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Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
GOA will host the Chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27. The FIDE World Cup 2025 carries a prize fund of USD 2 million and offers three qualifying spots for next year’s Candidates tournament.
The 206-player field includes world champion D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and R Praggnanandhaa. However, Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
India has 21 players in the list, among them five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who qualified through the June 2025 FIDE rating list. Anand has not played classical chess for some time, leaving uncertainty over his participation.
The event returns to India after 23 years. It was last held in Hyderabad in 2002, when Anand won the title. Indian chess has since expanded, with players like Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin among the qualified entries.
The World Cup will follow a two-game knockout format over eight rounds. Each round consists of two classical games, with rapid and blitz tie-breaks if required. The top 50 seeds will start from the second round with byes, while players ranked 51 to 206 will face off in the first round on top-half vs bottom-half pairings.
“Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic tournaments on the calendar,” FIDE said on its website on Tuesday.
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said, “India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans. After the success of the FIDE Women's World Cup held in Georgia earlier this year, we are proud to bring the FIDE World Cup to Goa.”
“It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world. The representatives of 90+ countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history,” he added.
AICF president Nitin Narang said, “The World Cup will not only inspire millions across the country but also showcase India's growing stature as a global hub for chess.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
INDIA on Wednesday said Ahmedabad would be an "ideal" venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, as the country seeks to strengthen its case to host the 2036 Olympics.
Ahmedabad, the main city in prime minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, has a 130,000-capacity stadium, the largest cricket arena in the world, named after him.
The cabinet approved India's bid for the 2030 Games on Wednesday. India had already submitted a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee last year for the 2036 Olympics.
India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, its capital.
"Ahmedabad is an ideal host city offering world-class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and a passionate sporting culture," a cabinet statement said.
"Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, has already demonstrated its capability by successfully hosting the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Final," it added.
Nigeria and at least two other nations are reported to be interested in hosting the Games. The event faced challenges after Victoria, Australia, withdrew from hosting the 2026 edition citing costs. Glasgow has since agreed to stage a smaller version.
The host city for 2030 will be decided in November.
India has said that if it secures the bid, the Games will be held as a "full-fledged" event. This would also feature sports like kabaddi and kho kho, which India has been advocating to include in the Olympics.
India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has won only 10 Olympic gold medals in its history.