PARIS: Excitement grips as the much-awaited Olympic Games will commence in Paris today.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will officially kick-off with a historic Opening Ceremony on the river Seine on Friday, July 26 with India taking part in it.
The grand opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games will pave the way for 16 days of action-packed elite competition across 32 sporting disciplines.
Unlike in the previous editions, the opening ceremony will take place outside a traditional stadium for the first time in the illustrious history of the Olympics.
The opening ceremony in Paris will be held in an open-air parade along a 6 km stretch of the River Seine. The parade will start at Austerlitz Bridge and end at Trocadéro, in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Performers will join the delegations and passengers on the boats during the parade, thereby enhancing the appeal and charm of the event.
The Indian contingent will be led by PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and table tennis veteran and four-time Olympian Sharath Kamal at the Paris 2024 Parade of Nations.
By doing so, they will create history by becoming the first athletes from their respective sports to serve as India's flag-bearers at an Olympic Opening Ceremony.
India will be represented by a total of 112 athletes who will compete in 69 medal events across 16 sports, with five reserve athletes also taking part.
The Indian men will don kurta bundi sets while the women will wear matching saris to reflect the tricolour of India's flag during the opening ceremony of Paris Olympic Games 2024.
The outfits, featuring traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, have been designed by Tarun Tahiliani.
The parade starts at the Austerlitz Bridge, located adjacent to the Jardin des Plantes, and covers the Seine River from east to west.
Over 10,000 athletes representing 206 countries will feature in the river tour, exhibiting famous Parisian landmarks such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The ceremony will also witness French President Emmanuel Macron flagging off the games and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic flame. A staggering 326,000 tickets have been sold to spectators who will flock to the Seine in order to catch a glimpse of this historic event.
Notably, the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will start at 11:00 PM IST (Indian Standard Time) in India and fans in India can view the live telecast of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony on Sports18 1 SD and Sports18 1 HD TV channels. Meanwhile, free live streaming in India will be available on Jio Cinema.
ALSO READ: Achanta Sharath Kamal and PV Sindhu Excited to Be Flagbearers at Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
ALSO WATCH: