Olympics
Guinea at the games, makes Tokyo 2020 rapid U-turn
Guinea’s government has reversed its decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics, a day after saying its delegation should not attend the Games, which officially open on Friday.
Sports Minister Sanoussy Bantama Sow said on Wednesday that there were concerns over a recent rise of Covid-19 variants.
“Guinea will participate in the Tokyo Olympics,” Sow told BBC Afrique.
“It was not a question of finances,” he said in response to such accusations. “We were simply caring about the life of our Guineans.
“We spoke with the organisers and they told us they will do everything to make sure our athletes will be safe.”
On Wednesday, Sow had issued a statement announcing Guinea’s late withdrawal, which came with the small delegation yet to fly.
“Due to the rise in cases of Covid-19 variants, the government, out of concern for the health of the Guinean athletes, has regretfully decided to cancel their participation,” the statement, dated 21 July, read.
The Guinean delegation features five competitors – one apiece in athletics, judo and wrestling, while two are swimmers.
One of them, Mariama Toure, is the first in action as she is due to race in the women’s 100m breaststroke heats on Sunday, with judoka Mamadou Samba is scheduled to compete the following day.
Guinea’s withdrawal – had it lasted – would have been the second time a country withdrew from the delayed Games, after North Korea cited Covid concerns when pulling out in April.
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
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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