Safety of Malaysian athletes at Paris Olympics is a priority
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, the Head of the Malaysian Contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympics, has assured that the safety of every member of the national contingent is a top priority throughout their pursuit of gold in France.
According to Sinar Harian, amidst the host country’s security concerns from various angles, Hamidin emphasized that the Contingent Secretariat at the Athlete Village in St Ouen-sur-Seine continuously updates security information from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) service center.
He stated that, in addition, they receive advice and the latest information from the Malaysian Embassy in Paris regarding precautionary measures around key locations and competition and training venues.
“As the head of the Malaysian contingent, I remind the Secretariat to obtain the latest advice and information on the precautionary measures implemented by the organizers. This collected information is crucial for the orderly and assured management of the contingent’s safety.
“On our part, we advise all athletes and coaches to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding transportation use, movement within and outside the athlete village, and around training and competition venues.
“Although I observe that French security is taking precautions by cordoning off and closing routes around competition venues to vehicle traffic and closing some pedestrian routes at Metro subway stations, I advise all contingent members—athletes, coaches, and officials—to exercise caution and limit their movements,” he said.
Hamidin commented on media reports that the main media center (MPC) at Palais de Congres in central Paris was temporarily closed when French security received a bomb threat.
In addition to the 26 athletes and 40 officials forming the Malaysian contingent, 25 media practitioners, including national news agency staff, television stations that hold broadcasting rights, as well as contingent media officers and international news organizations, are also working in Paris.
“We are also aware of the list of media members staying in seven different hotels. They are also taking precautionary measures and constantly updating event information through various apps and the official Paris 2024 website each time they go out for coverage.
“Meanwhile, we hope that Malaysians continue to pray for the safety of our contingent and all stakeholders in Paris, so that we may be kept safe from any disaster and bring home gold medals for Malaysia,” he said.