Olympics
IOC PROMISES €500,000 DONATION FOR NOTRE-DAME RESTORATION
- BY LIAM MORGAN
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will donate €500,000 (£432,000/$562,000) towards the restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral to ensure the famous building is repaired in time for Paris 2024.
IOC President Thomas Bach made the pledge in a letter to Paris 2024 head Tony Estanguet.
“The aim of finishing this reconstruction in time for Paris 2024 will be an additional motivation for us all,” Bach wrote.
“This will send a strong message about the way in which the Olympic Games are always synonymous with [people] gathering together and aim to put sport at the service of humanity.
“This is why the IOC wants to take part in the reconstruction and restoration efforts.
“The IOC will therefore make a donation of €500,000 for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame.”
A fire engulfed the medieval edifice on Monday (April 15), prompting an outpouring of sympathy worldwide.
The 850-year-old Gothic building’s spire and roof collapsed but officials said the main structure, including the two bell towers, had been saved.
The cause of the fire remains unclear but an investigation has been launched.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the cathedral, while donations totalling around €850 million (£735 million/$955 million) have been made to help with the restoration effort.
This mainly comprises donations from billionaires and other organisations.
Paris 2024 has consistently promised the city’s most recognisable sites “will be placed at the service of the Games and the Olympic brand”.
“It is with great sadness that we have seen the pictures of the destruction caused by the tragic fire at Notre-Dame cathedral,” Bach wrote.
“Having visited Notre-Dame many times myself, the photos of this very famous historical monument in flames at the very heart of the Olympic city of Paris personally upset me.
“The whole Olympic Movement and especially the IOC have been very touched by the link that the French immediately made between the reconstruction of Notre-Dame and the 2024 Olympic Games.
“We want to show the support of the Olympic Movement for the restoration of this iconic monument, which is in the heart of all the French people.
“By giving this helping hand, I hope that Notre-Dame will once again be able to inspire all of us when the whole world gathers together for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”– Inside the Games
Olympics
Olympic rings removed from Eiffel Tower
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Olympics
Paris 2024 Games break record ticket sales
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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