HomeSportsOff-field controversies that may mar Paris Olympics 2024

Off-field controversies that may mar Paris Olympics 2024

Similarย toย previousย Olympics,ย theย hostย nationย andย cityย areย dealingย withย issuesย thatย goย beyondย theย venues’ย preparation. Inย theย run-upย toย theย Julyย 26ย startย ofย theย Parisย Olympicsย 2024,ย Franceย hasย beenย embroiledย inย itsย ownย issues.

Weย examineย theย topย fiveย topicsย ofย discussionย regardingย hostingย ofย theย Olympicย Games 2024:

Pro-Palestine groups demand ban on Israel from Olympics

Palestinianย advocacyย organizationsย haveย urgedย theย Internationalย Olympicย Committeeย (IOC)ย toย prohibitย Israelย fromย competingย inย the Olympic Games 2024 asย theย country’sย warย onย Gazaย entersย itsย ninthย month.

Proponentsย ofย theย banย argueย thatย Israelย oughtย toย answerย forย itsย deeds. Butย theย likelihoodย ofย suchย anย actionย isย zero.

Whenย questionedย inย Marchย about any decision by teamsย andย athletes from Israelย toย skipย theย Paris Olympic Games,ย IOCย chiefย Thomasย Bachย responded,ย “No,ย thereย isย noย questionย aboutย this.”

Deathย threatsย threateningย aย replayย ofย theย Munichย Massacre during theย 1972 Olympics haveย sparkedย concernsย aheadย ofย theย Parisย Olympics. Athletes from Israel willย haveย round-the-clockย security due to theย threat from Islami radicals.

Hijab ban at Paris Olympics

Athletesย fromย Franceย areย notย permittedย toย wearย theย hijabย whileย competingย inย the Olympic Games 2024. Amelieย Oudea-Castera,ย theย formerย Frenchย ministerย ofย sports,ย declaredย inย Septemberย thatย athletesย wouldย notย beย permittedย toย wearย theย headscarf during the Paris Olympics inย orderย toย upholdย secularismย andย provideย “absoluteย neutralityย inย publicย services.”

Theย decisionย drewย criticismย andย sparkedย demonstrations. Theย onlyย nationย inย Europeย thatย forbidsย athletesย wearingย headscarvesย fromย competingย inย theย majorityย ofย domesticย sportingย eventsย isย France,ย evenย thoughย itย isย homeย toย oneย ofย theย biggestย Muslimย minoritiesย inย Europe.

Athletesย willย beย allowedย toย wearย theย hijabย atย theย athletes’ย village,ย theย IOCย hasย confirmed.

“Theย IOCย regulationsย areย applicableย forย theย Olympicย Village,”ย anย IOCย representativeย stated.

“Wearingย theย hijabย orย anyย otherย religiousย orย culturalย garmentย isย notย restricted.”

Shops,ย eateries,ย pubs,ย andย clubsย inย Parisย areย reportingย aย “unprecedentedย slumpย inย businessย andย footfall,”ย withย someย ofย theย blameย goingย toย theย “heavyย securityย measures”ย putย inย placeย forย the Paris Olympics.

Aย coalitionย ofย unionsย representingย restaurants,ย hotels,ย retailย stores,ย andย nightclubsย statedย thatย “activityย hasย beenย downย sinceย June,ย manyย professionalsย haveย seenย theirย revenueย fallย byย 30ย percentย comparedย withย previousย years.”

Theย Summerย Gamesย areย notย theย onlyย problemsย facingย theย businesses. Unfavorableย weather,ย inflation,ย andย aย difficultย politicalย climateย areย furtherย issues. Restaurantsย areย allegedlyย “sufferingย accessย restrictionsย thatย haveย sentย footfallย plungingย byย 70ย percent”ย atย theย Trocaderoย area,ย whichย isย closeย toย theย Eiffelย Tower.

Inย otherย places,ย otherwiseย charmingย streetsย haveย beenย marredย byย securityย barricades. Theyย said,ย “Manyย smallย businessesย riskย shutteringย forย good,”ย andย theyย demandedย thatย theย governmentย establishย compensationย guidelines.

Theย unionsย declared,ย “Weย insistย thatย justย andย promptย compensationย isย requiredย toย makeย upย forย theย inconvenienceย andย lossesย sufferedย becauseย ofย theย Olympicย Games.”

Water quality of River Seine in Paris

Theย bigย concernย monthsย beforeย theย Parisย Olympicsย wasย whetherย theย Seineย wouldย beย competitive. Theย Seine,ย whereย swimmingย hasย beenย prohibitedย forย moreย thanย aย century,ย isย setย toย hostย triathlonย andย marathonย swimmingย events.

Itย isย noteworthyย thatย sinceย the modern Olympic Gamesย were introduced inย 1896,ย noย hostย cityย hasย hostedย swimmingย inย anย urbanย river. Theย riverย hasย testedย cleanerย onย aย fewย days,ย butย dangerousย inย recentย weeksย despiteย theย city’sย bestย attemptsย toย cleanย itย up.

Aboutย aย hundredย officials,ย athletes,ย andย residentsย joined Paris mayorย Anneย Hidalgoย inย takingย aย dipย toย demonstrateย theย area’sย safetyย forย the Olympic Games 2024.ย  Butย betweenย nowย andย Julyย 30,ย whenย theย triathlonย begins,ย aย lotย ofย rainย couldย damageย the otherwise well-made plans.

Also Read: PV Sindhu eyes 3rd consecutive Olympic medal

Russia vs Ukraine

Russiaย andย Belarusianย athletesย areย notย permittedย toย competeย inย theย Olympicsย whileย flyingย theirย flagsย orย singingย theirย nationalย anthems. Followingย theย 2022ย invasionย ofย Ukraine,ย theย twoย nationsย wereย placedย underย rigorousย embargoย untilย theyย couldย progressivelyย re-enterย theย countryย underย aย neutralย bannerย whileย beingย closelyย monitored.

Onlyย 33ย ofย theย 58ย athletesย fromย Russiaย andย Belarusย thatย theย IOCย hadย expectedย toย competeย haveย acceptedย theย invitations;ย thisย numberย couldย stillย fallย afterย thoroughย backgroundย checks. Byย contrast,ย 104 athletes from Belarus andย 330 from Russia hadย competedย at the Tokyo Olympics. Theyย won’tย competeย inย teamย competitionsย orย beย includedย inย theย medalย count. Additionally,ย theย individualย athletesย willย notย participateย inย theย openingย ceremonyย parade.

 

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