Paris Olympics: athlete barred from wearing Hijab; allows cap
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Paris: What has caught the headlines recently from Paris Olympics 2024 was a French athlete getting prohibited from wearing a Hijab or head scarf in the world's largest sports event's opening ceremony. The French Olympic Committee banned French athlete Sounkamba Sylla from wearing traditional Muslim headwear. Now, the fresh development on the matter is that the French Olympic Committee is letting her wear a cap instead of in the parade at the opening ceremony, to which Sylla has agreed. The 400m women's and mixed team athlete has agreed to the terms, it is learned.
The 26-year-old athlete said that they have finally reached an agreement for her to participate in the opening ceremony. She said that she wanted to thank all of those who supported her from the beginning.
The athlete getting a notice from the nation's Olympics organisation triggered a huge controversy and caught larger headlines. The notice said that she was selected for the Olympics, and because she wore a hijab, she was allowed to participate in the grand event's opening ceremony.
Sylla shared the notice on social media, triggering widespread discussions.
In response to the debate, the president of the French Olympic Committee, David Lappartient, stated the other day that the secular principles that apply to the country's public sector workers also apply to those participating in the Olympics for the country.
In November last year, the French sports minister said that sportsmen representing France are not allowed to display religious symbols. However, this does not apply to athletes from other countries, as the International Olympic Committee has not banned the display of religious symbols.
After banning the Hijab, Marta Hurtado, the spokesperson of the UN Human Rights Commission, surfaced strongly criticising the French government. She said that no one should dictate what a woman should or should not wear.
The Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony will take place on the Seine River, which flows around the historic city of Paris. This is the first-ever Olympic opening, which will be held outside a stadium and will be full of French culture. Around 10,500 athletes are going to line up in about 11 boats when the grand opening starts at the Austerlitz Bridge at 11 pm Indian time and ends at Jardin des Plantes.