Sport

Paris to kick off 2024 Games under tight security

Starting at 7:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), in broad daylight, the ceremony, which marks the official start of the Paris 2024 Games, will pass by many of the French capital’s beloved landmarks, including the Louvre museum and Pont des Arts bridge.

Published

5 months ago

July 26, 2024

Ariana News

France aims to wow the world on Friday with an extravagant Olympics opening ceremony through the heart of Paris, officially kicking off a Games fraught with security risks at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, Reuters reported.

Some 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security staff will ensure the safety of the parade along the river Seine, its banks and surrounding monuments, in an unprecedented display of security.

A procession of barges will take nearly 7,000 athletes along the river past Paris's most famous landmarks, while more than 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks.

Since the last Olympics in Beijing in 2022, wars have erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a tense backdrop to the Games. France is at its highest level of security - though officials have repeatedly said there is no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.

As part of a vast security operation, authorities have turned to powers passed under an anti-terror law, placing 155 people under surveillance measures that strictly limit their movement, according to official data and a Reuters review of cases.

Meanwhile, Israeli competitors are being escorted by elite tactical units to and from events and given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics, officials say.

Scores of world leaders will be in Paris for the opening ceremony, which will be protected by snipers on rooftops. The Seine's riverbed has been swept for bombs, and Paris' airspace will be closed, read the report.

For the Games more generally, radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will watch sensitive sites from above, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace.

EVERYTHING READY

"Everything is ready," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video he posted on X. "Even the (Olympics) rings are there," he said, overlooking the Eiffel tower. "Enjoy the Games!"

Macron, who won a second mandate two years ago, had hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy.

But his failed bet on a snap legislative election has weakened him and is casting a shadow over his moment on the international stage.

High security also means much grumbling from locals, after police imposed a security zone along the river ahead of the opening ceremony, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighbourhoods and requiring authorisation - passes with QR codes - to enter.

Cafes along the banks of the Seine, which normally buzz with activity in the summer, have been left very quiet due to the restrictions.

That has not helped lift the national mood over the Olympics, which Macron will hope improves once the Games have properly started.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine means Moscow's usually huge delegation of athletes has been reduced to 15 who met and accepted eligibility requirements to compete as neutrals, according to a list published by the IOC on July 20.

Belarus will send 17 athletes competing as neutrals, Reuters reported.

Ukraine is sending 140 athletes - its smallest contingent since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

FLOATING PARADE

Starting at 7:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), in broad daylight, the ceremony, which marks the official start of the Paris 2024 Games, will pass by many of the French capital's beloved landmarks, including the Louvre museum and Pont des Arts bridge.

"We're going to take advantage of all the historic monuments around the Seine, and there won't be a single riverbank or bridge that won't be filled with music, dance, or performance," the ceremony's choreographer Maud Le Pladec, opens new tab has said.

It will the first time that an opening ceremony has taken place outside of a stadium.

Details including some of the artists taking part, who will be the last to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the Games, have been kept secret.

The artistic team said they had been rehearsing in private to keep it all under wraps.

One big unknown for the open-air ceremony is the weather. It is currently forecast to be cloudy, while organisers were hoping there would be a "golden hour" of sunset lighting up buildings midway through the ceremony.

More than 10,500 athletes will compete at the Olympics, 100 years since Paris last staged the Games. Competition started on Wednesday and the first of the 329 gold medals will be awarded on Saturday. The closing ceremony will take place on Aug. 11, read the report.

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Sport

Zimbabwe’s opening ODI against Afghanistan abandoned

Afghanistan won the toss and put the hosts into bat but it took four hours before any play was possible, with the game by then reduced to a 28 overs per side.

Published

16 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Ariana News

Heavy rain led to the abandonment of the first one day international between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Afghanistan won the toss and put the hosts into bat but it took four hours before any play was possible, with the game by then reduced to a 28 overs per side.

Azmatullah Omarzai took 4-18 in 4.2 overs as the visitors made good inroads to have Zimbabwe 44-5 in the 10th over before the rain returned and ended hope of further play.

The second of the three match ODI series will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Sport

Lanka T10: All three matches abandoned due to rain

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2024

Ariana News

Relentless rain on Monday resulted in all three Lanka T10 Super League matches being abandoned without a ball bowled at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

All teams except for the Jaffna Titans had been anxiously waiting to play their remaining matches of the league round in order to qualify for a place in the second stage of the inaugural event.

The matches that were affected were Nuwara Eliya Kings v Galle Marvels; Hambantota Bangla Tigers v Colombo Jaguars; and Jaffna Titans v Kandy Bolts.

All six teams grabbed a point each from the results which meant that Jaffna Titans, Hambantota Bangla Tigers, and Galle Marvels have qualified for the second stage of the tournament.

Prior to Monday, however, Jaffna had already clinched their spot to play in Qualifier 1. They head the standings with 10 points winning four of their six matches with two No Results.

Following Monday’s result Hambantota finished second with seven points to join Jaffna in Qualifier 1.

Galle also had the same number of points (7), but on the net run rate had to be content with the third spot, which meant that they will play in the Eliminator.

Who will play Galle is the big question here for three teams with four points each in the running – Colombo, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya.

The three matches scheduled for Tuesday will decide the fate of the remaining three sides.

Weather permitting, the matches scheduled are: Colombo Jaguars v Jaffna Titans; Kandy Bolts v Nuwara Eliya Kings; and Galle Marvels v Hambantota Bangla Tigers.

Currently, Colombo, with a better net run rate, are placed fourth, with Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in fifth and sixth places respectively.

The knockout games are scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, with the final on Thursday, December 19.

Matches, depending on the weather, will be broadcast live on Ariana Television from 2:30 pm Tuesday.

Sport

ATN once again seals deal to broadcast upcoming IPL across Afghanistan

Next year’s event will kick off on March 14 and run through to May 25. That’s just over 10 weeks of exhilarating cricket.

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2024

Ariana News

Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN) has once again secured the rights to broadcast another thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) live and exclusively in Afghanistan.

That’s right, fans will once again be treated by Ariana Television to all the thrills, spills and unforgettable IPL moments in the comfort of their own homes.

Next year’s event will kick off on March 14 and run through to May 25. That’s just over 10 weeks of exhilarating cricket.

While we know the event will run from March 14, the complete IPL 2025 schedule, including dates for knockout matches, and the final, is yet to be announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Next year’s tournament, like in the past, will see ten teams competing in 74 matches.

Kolkata Knight Riders are the defending champions, having won their third title in the 2024 edition after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

The teams are:

– Chennai Super Kings
– Delhi Capitals
– Gujarat Titans
– Kolkata Knight Riders (defending champions)
– Lucknow SuperGiants
– Mumbai Indians
– Punjab Kings
– Rajasthan Royals
– Royal Challengers Bangalore
– Sunrisers Hyderabad

IPL 2025 sees some exciting team changes, reshuffled lineups, and strategic player acquisitions.

For instance, Rishabh Pant broke the auction record on day one of the two-day IPL Auction in Jeddah when Lucknow Super Giants got the star wicket keeper for a whopping $3.20 million.

Punjab Kings in turn snapped up Shreyas Iyer for $3.17 million.

The IPL Auction also saw one cricketer becoming the youngest ever to be sold on auction.

Indian’s 13-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi, from the eastern Indian state of Bihar, went to the Rajasthan Royals for $130,500 after coming into the auction at a base price of $35,591.

Seven Afghan players were snapped up for next year’s season, including Rashid Khan who was retained by Gujarat Titans for $2.1 million.

Karim Janat will make his debut at the IPL and was picked up by Gujarat Titans for just over $88,000; Noor Ahmad Lakanwal was signed by Chennai Super Kings for $1.18 million; Azmatullah Omarzai was sold to Punjab Kings for $284,000; Rahmanullah Gurbaz was resigned by Kolkata Knight Riders for over $236,000; Fazalhaq Farooqi went to Rajasthan Royals for $236,000 USD; and 18-year-old young spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar was signed by Mumbai Indians for $568,000.

While match details have not yet been announced, cricket fans across the country can watch this space and follow Ariana Television’s social media platforms for news and information ahead of the tournament.

ATN to broadcast exciting 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live in Afghanistan