Paris, July 26 (IANS) Dominated by the French obsessions of music, dance, and colours and tempered by water, from the sky in the form of rain, in their hearts in the form of the Seine River, the Opening Ceremony of XXXIII Olympic Games kicked off on Friday evening with all the peasantry associated with a spectacular occasion.

The event started with representatives from Greece leading the athletes from nearly 200 countries in the Parade of the Nations on boats on the river.

And it was the American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga who set the pulses racing with a mesmerising show, setting the stage for more scintillating performances to come in what is expected to be a nearly three-hour ceremony showcasing the French culture and heritage. The global superstar sang the French classic ‘Mon truce en plume’ by Zizi Jeanmaire and received thunderous cheers from the fans who had lined up the riverbank since the afternoon.

As the boats continue along the Seine, around 80 artists from the Moulin Rouge perform a famous French cabaret dance, the ‘can-can’.

Though heavy rains lashed Paris as the ceremony started, spectators were forced to take shelter, but no one was ready to leave the venue and miss the once-in-a-lifelong ceremony.

–IANS

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Kitzbuhel (Germany), July 26 (IANS) Matteo Berrettini continued his recent superb runs as he made it to the final of the second ATP 250 event by beating Yannick Hanfmann of Germany in the semifinals of the Generali Open here on Friday. The 28-year-old Italian, who in March was floundering outside the Top 150 of the ATP Rankings, advanced to the summit clash by beating Hanfmann 6-4, 6-4 on the clay courts of Kitzbuhel.

Berrettini dropped just four points on his first serve and saved the lone break point he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I feel really good. Obviously, I feel tired in the way that I have had a lot of matches on my shoulders, but it’s a good feeling,” Berrettini said. “It’s not tired that I cannot play anymore, it’s tired that I’m pushing myself and this is what I was looking to before the tournament, hoping to have as many matches as possible.

“It’s been a great two weeks and hopefully tomorrow’s going to be another title; that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour on its website.

Chasing his 10th final and third of the season, the former World No. 6 faces a first-time meeting on ATP Tour in Saturday’s championship match with Frenchman Hugo Gaston. The crafty left-hander was leading Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-1, 2-0 when the Argentine retired with a right knee injury.

Berrettini, who has won five career titles on clay, has surged to No. 46 in the ATP Live Rankings this week and could rise to No. 40 with the title.

Gaston came into the tournament with just five match wins on the year but has risen 31 spots to No. 60 in the live standings. He will chase his first ATP Tour title in his second final (Gstaad, 2021).

–IANS

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Pallekele, July 26 (IANS) Ahead of the first T20I against India on Saturday, newly appointed Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said he wants his players to give their 100 percent on the field and win matches in the series. India and Sri Lanka will play a three-match T20I series followed by as many ODIs. Asalanka acknowledged the fact that they have talented players in the squad and as a captain of the side, he has given them freedom to express themselves freely on the field.

“What I really want is to get 100% out of my players, and to create a positive environment for them. We have a lot of talented cricketers, but what’s important is to get the most out of them and have them win matches. I’ve told them to play freely and when we’ve given them plans, to go out there and execute them without fear. That’s what you can expect from me as a captain,” Asalanka said on the eve of the series opener.

After guiding his Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Jaffna Kings to the title in the recently concluded season, the all-rounder feels that it is the premier T20 tournament of the country and top performers should be rewarded with a chance to represent the country.

“If you look at the LPL, it’s the No. 1 tournament we have to make decisions like this. More than domestic T20s, the LPL is at a much higher level. As a captain, I think if you perform at the LPL you should get a good chance at playing in the national team,” Asalanka said.

Avishka Fernando has been amazing, Pathum Nissanka has had great performances, Kusal Mendis is in excellent form, and Kusal Perera has made a significant return.

Furthermore, Kamindu Mendis appears to be in terrific touch. The quartet has given a headache to the Sri Lanka camp for the top-order batting positions with Asalanka confirming that one has to miss out. “There are four openers in the squad, and the way I’m thinking three of them will make up the top three. One of them will have to miss out,” he said.

Whether it was for his school Richmond College, Sri Lanka Under-19, or most recently winning the LPL, Asalanka has been a captain since the age-group level. He claimed that the foundation of his leadership approach is man-management.

“From under-15 level I’ve captained teams, and there’ s been a lot of change since then. That’s what I tell my team members too – we can’t be in the same place we’ve always been at. From day to day, you have to improve and that’s how you become a good player or a good captain. I’ve played under many captains, and I’ve tried to absorb as many of their good traits into my captaincy and into my life as possible,” Asalanka said.

–IANS

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Paris, July 26 (IANS) Despite stories of Michelin-starred chefs helping prepare the menus in Paris, Andy Anson, the British Olympic Association’s chief executive, has complained that the food in the Olympic Village “is not adequate,” with complaints over small portions and a lack of high-protein foods.

“There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates,” Anson told ‘The Times’ newspaper.

He also complained about “the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes. They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically,” he said.

In an attempt to resolve the issue, Team GB will fly in a chef to prepare meals at their performance lodge in the Clichy district of Paris, reports Xinhua.

“Our athletes have decided they would rather go and eat in our performance lodge in Clichy, so we are having to get another chef to come over as the demand is far exceeding what we thought it would be,” Anson explained, adding that athletes were also taking “packed meals” for their dinners.

“We are trying to make sure our athletes have an advantage by having more food. It is the biggest issue at the moment,” he commented.

Around 40,000 meals are prepared in the Athletes village every day for a restaurant that can seat 3,300 people, with a spokesman saying organizers are working to “increase supplies.”

–IANS

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Paris, July 26 (IANS) Rain is playing hide and seek here in the French capital as the Opening Ceremony is just a few minutes away, dampening the mood of the crowd present. The French Met Department has predicted the risk of rain showers during the ceremony on Friday evening owing to disturbances approaching the Paris region.

Though the weather was pleasant in the afternoon, now the rain continued to disrupt the proceedings.

Earlier, Mateo-France had stated, “In the morning, light rain occurs under a cloudy sky. An improvement is seen in the afternoon, with the rain fading away.

“The risk of showers during the opening ceremony cannot be ruled out.”

However, the Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Amelie Oudea-Castera, had promised on the RMC morning show, “The rain will not spoil the opening ceremony! It will not deteriorate the quality of the show.”

The opening ceremony starts at 11:00 PM IST. The scintillating evening will witness almost 100 boats carrying thousands of athletes sailing along the Seine during the parade of the nations.

Paris 2024 will mark the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games that the opening ceremony is held outside a stadium.

–IANS

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