KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s chef de mission for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, has advised athletes competing in the world’s largest sporting event to refrain from leaving the athletes’ village casually, citing safety concerns.
Hamidin issued this reminder following statements by French President Emmanuel Macron last month, who revealed that France has contingency plans to relocate the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games from the River Seine in the event of a serious security threat.
France has been on high-security alert since an attack on a Moscow concert hall in March, where foreign media reported over 100 casualties and more than 140 injuries resulting from gunmen attacking the venue.
Further security concerns arise from reported threats by the Islamic State group towards Champions League quarter-final football matches in Paris, Madrid, and London.
To address these concerns, 30,000 police officers and gendarmes are anticipated to be deployed daily during the games, backed by 20,000 private security personnel.
Additionally, soldiers will be on standby, tasked primarily with patrolling rather than intervening during periods of heightened security.
According to the Paris Olympics organisers, the athletes’ village for this edition of the games spans three cities – Saint-Denis, Saint Ouen, and L’Île-Saint-Denis – to accommodate 14,250 athletes during the Olympics and 8,000 during the Paralympic Games.
“I have inspected the athletes’ village for the Paris Olympics, and stringent security measures are being enforced by local authorities,” Hamidin told Scoop during an exclusive interview.
“As the leader of the Malaysian contingent, my primary concern is the safety of our athletes. With an anticipated team of around 28 athletes competing in Paris, we must ensure their safety.
“Currently, there are still several athletes striving to qualify, while others await decisions on whether they will compete in Paris through wild card slots.
“For me, there is no need for them to freely roam as we do not want any unwanted incidents to happen to our athletes. Therefore, we will not allow them to leave the athletes’ village.”
Hamidin, together with his deputy, Datuk Nicol David, visited Paris during the Chef de Mission Conference held in July last year. Another inspection is scheduled before the event officially kicks off on July 26.
In addition to bringing expertise in sports science from the National Sports Institute (NSI), the Malaysian contingent will be accompanied by a Malaysian chef catering to the athletes’ dietary needs and preferences.
Previously, the Malaysia Paralympic Council (MPC) also announced plans to equip all national athletes with tracking devices during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris as a safety measure to monitor their whereabouts. – May 9, 2024