look news india
Paris: The Olympic Games in Paris began with an opening ceremony that was unprecedented and unique in Olympic history. Until now, all Summer and Winter Olympics have had opening ceremonies in stadiums, but Paris became the first host in history where the opening ceremony was held by a boat parade down the Seine River, considered the cultural heart of Paris. This was the highlight of the opening ceremony.
Boats were passing through the 6 km route of Seine river one by one and the team and officials of that country were seated in that boat according to the alphabet. It took them 45 minutes to complete the 6 km waterway.
There were seating arrangements for spectators in separate blocks along the entire waterway like a riverfront stadium and three lakh such spectators cheered the previous teams.
More than 100 boats were used in this four-hour inaugural ceremony.
More than 100 boats took two rounds of the 6 km waterway to parade the players from 206 countries of the world. It was a dazzling sight that cannot be described in words and can only be “seen to be believed”. The first two hours were of sunshine and the next two hours were of sunset and then the time of flashing lights in the dark.
The illumination was also spectacular as the boats passed by and shone on the Seine river while on the other side, the spectators on the riverbank were spectacular. This entire six kilometre area is home to historical monuments and architecture including the world famous Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Church and the Eiffel Tower. All of these were illuminated differently. The boat ride started from the Austerlitz Bridge and passed through the above monuments. Several underbridges and gateways also came into the waterway. Landways like the Pont des Arts and Poste Neuf were also covered.
Apparently, 80 giant screens were installed in the city and on the riverbank so that all the spectators could watch the parade and the colourful event satisfactorily. View the objects and presentation as if French culture and history were the main subjects. Performances by Ayana Grande, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Aya Nakamura were the main attractions. French famous actress Laetitia Casta and journalist Mohamed Bouhafarti graced the inauguration with the torch relay.
The Indian players were led by badminton player P.V. Sindhu and table tennis player Sharath Kamal. While the Chief of Mission of the Indian fleet was shooter Gagan Narang.
The Indian men's players wore kurtas for the parade while the women's players wore Indian tricolor print and ikat print, Banarasi brocade sarees. The dress of the Indian players was designed by Tarun Tahiliani and the main color of both the dresses was white.
Heads of 80 countries or their representatives, delegations of global organizations including UNO, IOC also attended. Prominent people like Biden's wife Jill Biden, British President Starmer, German Chancellor Scholz, Italian President Mattarella were present. American rapper La Born Snoop was the last person to pass the torch while lighting the Olympic flame.
45000 policemen were deployed for security during the inauguration ceremony. Apart from this, a no-fly zone was declared in that area.
French theatre director and actor Thomas Joly directed the ceremony in Paris.