The Paris Olympic Games will be held from today to August 11 in Paris, the capital of France. 117 athletes from India have gone to participate in these Olympic Games. In this case, there is a food shortage in the Olympic village where the Indian athletes are staying. Indian boxer Amit Pangal ordered and ate dal roti.
The Olympic Village, where 117 Indian athletes will stay for the next fortnight, consists of 30 flats spread over seven floors. Tennis star Rafael Nadal of Spain is staying opposite the residential area where the Indian players stay. Their neighbors are Italy to the right and tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia to the left.
Ahead of the opening ceremony today on Friday, the mood of the Indian players was cheerful and relaxed. The tension and pressure of the real games will probably wait until Saturday when the matches begin.
Hockey team defenders Sumit and Jugraj Singh talk about the Olympic Village. “The whole village is so much fun, we can hang out wherever we want!” After saying that, Sumit heads towards the entertainment zone.
India is known as a cutthroat country when it comes to Olympics. Hence, India does not get a chance to choose where they want to stay. However, few major countries have that facility.
For example, China, who love ‘peace’, got their location in one of the quieter corners of the Olympic Village. Great Britain (England) athletes live on a small island complex in the Seine. France, the host of the competition, first chose their three entire buildings, which they decorated in their national colors. America, meanwhile, doesn’t want their athletes to walk a lot to the dining hall, so they are located next to the main dining area.
Although Indian athletes are not too happy with their limited options, the dining area has five different halls offering global cuisine, Halal cuisine, Asian cuisine and French cuisine. “Rajma was there today, but it was over before we got there,” says Indian doubles badminton star Tanisha Krasto.
Grab-and-go counters are set up at different locations in the village. And a boulangerie makes over 2,000 baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolat daily. Film studios are not far from there. They have now been converted into training areas. For example, American basketball superstar LeBron James trains in Paris where parts of Emily were filmed.
The inputs and opinions of 41 architects were sought while designing this village. Despite all the fun and excitement, modest accommodation is very attractive. Boxer Amit Pangal says the rooms are much smaller than in previous Olympics. Many athletes across the country have commented on these ‘minimalist’ games. Each unit has three rooms. They each have two single ‘cardboard’ beds and two bathrooms.
Traffic concerns
Transport services have emerged as another concern. “It doesn’t follow the schedule. On match days, I leave early so that I don’t get late for my match,” says Tanisha. This has been taken up by India’s successive Chiefs of Mission Kagan Narang and Deputy CDM Shiva Kesavan.
Narang, who won a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event at the London Olympics, says the complexities of managing the logistical challenges made him ‘appreciate the work of administrators even more’.
“We are all athlete-centric. For example, when it comes to guest passes to enter the village, priority is given to the medical team followed by the athletes’ personal support staff. After that, if there are spare passes, we provide them to the guests. Taking care of the minor needs of the athletes is very important.” Narang says.
“Gaming zones to relax, sleeping pods to relax… As athletes, we never saw anything like this when we competed. We wanted to make it a better place,” says Kesavan.
The entrance to the apartment begins with the ‘Wall of Positivity’. A dozen athletes from various sports have shared their messages in the group. Have a couple of ‘chak te’; A coach reminds them how this can be a ‘life-changing experience’; Another note tells them to ‘smile’. Below, table tennis player Manika Patra, “Go to India!” The moment they’ve been preparing for all their lives is now a dream come true.
