French 400 m sprinter Sounkamba Sylla allowed to take part in Opening ceremony of Paris Olympics 2024 wearing a Cap!

New Delhi: After a stalemate, French officials have finally allowed 400 m sprinter Sounkamba Sylla to take part in the proceedings of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024. French sports ministry informed the media outlets that the decision to not allow her to take part in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 has been reversed. “The issue is resolved” French minister of sport Oudéa Castéra remarked in a press conference after the decision was taken.

What was the controversy?

The controversy between Sylla and French officials emerged when the former refused to remove her hijab or headscarf during the opening ceremony. According to the French constitution, athletes are not allowed to wear anything that resembles any religion. This has been done to uphold the ‘secular’ values of the French laws.

Oudéa Castéra in her post-match briefing said, “That’s the law and we need to obey by the law, and she understands perfectly that when you’re an athlete representing your country, you need to be exemplary.”

Naturally, Sylla was banned from the Opening ceremony. However, now she has agreed to take part in the Opening ceremony wearing a hat thereby respecting both her religious sentiments as well as her nation’s legal framework.

When is the Paris Olympics 2024?

India and France share a time difference of 3 hours and 30 minutes behind. So, the Indian fans will have a lot of adjustments to their clock dials to be on time throughout the Olympics to keep track of the events. The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place on the 26th of July at 8:24 pm (local time).

On the other hand, after a nonstop action for three weeks, the Olympics will close on the 11th of August around 3:00 pm (local time).