Olympics Paralympic Games 2024 fever hits Paris

PARIS: Parisians are the main buyers of tickets for the Paralympic Games, organisers said, rushing to grab a second opportunity to see competitions in some of the Games' spectacular venues, after many chose to snub the Olympics or missed out on tickets.

In July, Parisians had left the city in droves ahead of the Olympics, with entire neighbourhoods turned eerily quiet as residents decamped as they feared the disturbance and traffic problems many thought the Games would bring.

But the Games turned out to be a global success. The Paralympics will allow them to see Olympic sports in the same venues, including at the feet of the Eiffel Tower or in the gardens of the Versailles castle outside Paris.

Organizers said that of the more than 1.75 million tickets already sold ahead of the Aug. 28 start of the Paralympics, 92% came from French buyers, with buyers from the Ile-de-France region around Paris taking the lion's share of 73%.

Parisian Mathieu Bucella is set to boost these numbers a little further.

"I'm seriously thinking about it because I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't think of getting tickets for the (Olympic) Games, so this is my second chance," he said.

Organizers said several sessions were nearly sold out already, notably wheelchair fencing and para taekwondo in Grand Palais, para track cycling in Saint Quentin, para equestrian in Chateau de Versailles and blind football at Champ de Mars. Agencies

Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes Indian contingent for Paris Paralympic Games

Also Watch: