Paris 2024 Olympic Games kick off, Malaysia’s quest for gold begins

KUALA LUMPUR: The four-year wait has ended as the prestigious global event, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, officially began with a ceremony along the Seine River in Paris, France, early Saturday morning.

According to Sinar Harian, at the ceremony held on a boat, the Malaysian delegation was led by the Head of the Malaysian Contingent to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, and his deputy, Datuk Nicol David, and was represented by six athletes and four officials.

Diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises and sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif carried the Jalur Gemilang, accompanied by divers Nur Dhabitah Sabri, sailor Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy, golfer Ashley Lau, and swimmer Tan Rouxin.

The athletes wore outfits designed by prominent local fashion designers Rizman Ruzaini. The Malaya collection featured olive green with golden motifs, highlighting the athletes’ style, with female athletes in songket baju kurung and male athletes in Teluk Belanga baju Melayu.

The mission for Malaysia’s first gold medal at the 2024 Olympics is driven by the determination and desire of 26 Malaysian athletes to make history, supported by the prayers and encouragement of the Malaysian people.

The Malaysian contingent has arrived in the City of Love with 26 athletes competing in 10 sports: weightlifting (one man), badminton (four men, four women), golf (one man, one woman), and cycling (two men, two women).

Sailing features one man and one woman; archery includes three women; shooting has one man; athletics features one man; diving includes one man and one woman; and swimming has one man and one woman.