Muscat: In a historic moment for Oman, Ali al Balushi and Mazoon al Alawi will proudly carry the national flag during the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. This unique edition of the Games will feature an outdoor opening event along a six-kilometre stretch of the Seine River, with over 7,000 athletes from around the world participating on 94 boats and ferries. The spectacle is expected to attract more than 500,000 spectators from designated viewing areas and nearby balconies.
The ceremony, set to begin at 8:30 PM Oman time (6:30 PM France time), will be graced by top dignitaries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and various global leaders and sports figures. Oman will also be represented by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed al Zubair, Chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), and HE Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, among others.
Oman’s delegation arrived in the Olympic Village on Thursday, with the athletics and swimming teams joining the shooting team, which arrived earlier. Ali bin Salim al Busaidi, the delegation of Chef De Mission of Oman, welcomed the team members at Paris Airport and the Olympic Village.
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Omani shooter Said Ali al Khatri, training under Italian coach Luca Marini, has been preparing intensively at the Châteauroux Shooting Center, the largest facility in Europe. Al Khatri is set to make his Olympic debut in the Men’s Trap Shooting event, kicking off Oman’s participation on Monday and Tuesday.
The athletics and swimming teams will begin their training programs on Saturday. Swimmer Issa al Adawi will train at the Paris Aquatics Center under Tunisian coach Amer bin Ruqia. In contrast, sprinter Ali Anwar al Balushi and runner Mazoon Khalfan al Alawi will train at the Stade de France with national coach Fahd Khalfan al Mishaykhi.
Issa Al Adawi will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event on Tuesday. Mazoon Al Alawi will race 100 meters on August 2, followed by Ali Al Balushi in the same event on August 3.
