ANOF chief: Paris Olympic Games to combine excitement, social responsibility

Paris is bracing for the 2024 Olympic Games amid expectations that the world event would combine sports excitement, and social and environmental responsibility, said Chairman of National Olympic Academy of France (ANOF) Arnauld Richard. In an interview with KUNA, Richard said that new main sports facilities have already been launched as part of France's proper preparations and arrangements for the Olympic Games due July 2024. He even promised that this year's world games in Paris would be totally different from previous editions, given that the French capital is seeking hard to ensure sustainability and gender equity in view of the number of athletes. On the total cost of the sports gathering, he estimated that the expenses, after having been re-evaluated due to inflation, would hit approximately nine billion euros (around USD 9.77 billion". However, he said the cost of the Paris Olympic Games would be lower than all previous editions, citing Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as having cost USD 13 billion and USD 38.5 billion respectively. He pointed out that most sports facilities are either already existing or have been launched on a temporary basis, thus leading to cutting the total expenses of the big event. Regarding environment, France and Paris Olympic Games organizers are doing their utmost to cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 50 percent, compared with London 2012 Olympic Games and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. Furthermore, Paris is trying to make use of renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar energy, by means of urging the expected big number of fans to use means of environmentally friendly transport like metro and bicycles. The chairman of National Olympic Academy of France (ANOF) said he was so upbeat that the Paris 2024 Olympic Games would so successful and fruitful that it would combine sports excitement and positive influence at the global level. The Olympic flame for Paris 2024 began its journey from Greece's Piraeus port to France in April on board the French ship Belem. It was the first time in the history of the Games that the Olympic Flame had been transported by sea. The summer Olympics are to kick off from 26 July to 11 August, with 10,500 athletes competing in 329 events. There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics and the main athletics events will be held at the Stade de France, on the northern outskirts of Paris. Source: Kuwait News Agency