The Paris Olympics will kick-off today, and for the first time in the game’s history, the opening ceremony will not be held at the stadium but outdoors at Seine River.
The Parade of Nations will showcase boats carrying thousands of athletes through the capital’s famous landmarks, and more than 320 000 spectators are expected to attend along the route.
Meanwhile, Team South Africa has already arrived in Paris, and is raring to go.
The country will be represented by 138 athletes, coaches and support staff.
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has wished Team SA good luck for the games.
“You might not win, that’s okay. You might not get gold, silver and bronze, it’s okay. But what will never be okay, is when you cheat yourself. No matter what you get, when you step down from your race, you must be able to look yourself in the mirror, and say, I gave it my all, I couldn’t give more. We’re here to win and we’re going to win,” said McKenzie, who was addressing the team at their Ekhaya base in Paris.
He encouraged the athletes not to doubt themselves, and no matter what happens at the games, they must not forget that they live in the greatest country in the world.
The Minister expressed gratitude to the sponsors, adding that the government wouldn’t have sent the athletes to the games without their support.
“All stakeholders had to make plans to get the team ready and flown to Paris. Government is broken, but the corporate sector is not broken. We want to say thank you to MTN, Multichoice for making sure that we’re sorted. Thanks, Mr Price, for the tracksuits,” explained McKenzie.
