NEW DELHI: The Paris 2024 Olympics will commence with an unprecedented Opening Ceremony on the river Seine on Friday, July 26, with India participating in this significant event.
Breaking from tradition, the Opening Ceremony will not take place inside a stadium. Instead, the Parade of Nations will unfold along the Seine river, which runs through the centre of Paris.
In this unique ceremony, over 10,000 Olympic athletes will travel on approximately 100 boats, passing by iconic Parisian landmarks such as Notre Dame, Pont des Arts, and Pont Neuf.
The floating procession will start at the Austerlitz bridge near the Jardin des Plantes and conclude at the Trocadéro, where the remaining Olympic protocol and final performances will occur. The event is expected to last over three hours under the artistic direction of Thomas Jolly, a renowned French theatre director and actor.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist in badminton, and Sharath Kamal, a veteran table tennis player participating in his fifth Olympics, will be the flag-bearers for the Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Parade of Nations, making history as the first from their respective sports to do so.
India's athletes will be dressed in kurta bundi sets for men and matching saris for women, showcasing the country's tricolour flag. The outfits, featuring traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, have been designed by Tarun Tahiliani.
Also see: Paris Olympics: A sneak peek into the unique opening ceremony on the Seine RiverIndia aims to build on its success from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the country won seven medals, including its first-ever Athletics gold by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. A total of 112 Indian athletes will compete in 69 medal events across 16 sports in Paris, with five reserve athletes also present.
When does the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony start in India?Indian viewers can watch the live telecast of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony starting at 11:00 PM IST.
Where to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony live in India?Sports18 1 SD and Sports18 1 HD TV channels will broadcast Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony.
Jio Cinema will provide free live streaming of the event.