Olympics 2024 – how Kerala is connected

THE torch for the Paris 2024 Olympics was lit in ancient Olympia in a traditional ceremony on April 16, marking the final stretch of the seven-year preparations for the games starting on July 26.

It will culminate with the lighting of the Olympic flame in the French capital at the opening ceremony. Paris will host the Summer Olympics for a third time after 1900 and 1924.

The French torch relay will last 68 days and end in Paris with the lighting of the Olympic flame on July 26.

A retired Kerala professor has brought out a 2024 exclusive calendar tracing the evolution of the modern Olympics and honours the legends of the Olympics, as the biggest sporting extravaganza returns to Paris.

The event will be held from July 26, 2024, to August 11in France, with Paris as the main host city and 16 other cities spread across metropolitan France.

Dr. Vasisht, former Head of the History Department, Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode, who made the calendar, said he decided to come out with this amid the ongoing conflicts at the international level, the calendar is made to propagate the message 'Olympics for World Peace' and 'Nobel Peace Prize for Olympics'.

The calendar explains the history of the Olympics, its meaning, the venues, the giants who brought laurels to themselves and their country, the mascots and many more interesting details.

Meanwhile, ace Indian long jumper Sreeshankar Murali from Palakkad has unfortunately been sidelined from the Olympics due to a knee injury he sustained during training, which requires surgery.

In April, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games silver medallist shared the heart-breaking news with a social media post, "All my life, I've had the courage to look at a setback in the eye, accept situations I can't change, and work hard at dictating the outcomes of those I can. Unfortunately, in what feels like a nightmare, but is a reality, my Paris Olympic Games dream is over," the post read.

The 25-year-old sealed the Olympics qualification at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok in July last year, clinching silver with a best jump of 8.37m, breaching the automatic qualification mark of 8.27m.

In 2023, Sreeshankar delivered a remarkable season, clinching a silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games and securing the silver medal at the Asian Championships.
Last year, he also became the first Indian long jumper to qualify for the Diamond League final following his fifth-place in the Zurich leg after the third and fifth-place finish in the Paris and Lausanne legs, respectively. But he had skipped the prestigious event to focus on his preparation for the Asian Games.

In another development, Union Minister and NDA Lok Sabha election candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in April visited Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) and expressed his aspirations to propel Thiruvananthapuram as a “focal point” for the 2036 Olympics readiness.

During his visit, the minister also expressed his aspirations to harness the institution's potential, aiming to elevate Thiruvananthapuram as a “premier destination” for sports excellence and innovation.

“LNCPE stands as a beacon of sports excellence, and it is our collective endeavour to utilize its resources to propel Thiruvananthapuram as a focal point for the 2036 Olympics readiness,” said Chandrasekhar.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced last year that the government was striving to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

WMV wishes the Indian contingent the best to win laurels for the country.