IOC dismisses Paris Games cancellation rumours
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has dismissed speculations about a cancellation or postponement of the upcoming Paris Games due to the political situation in France.
It said it was part of a disinformation campaign.
Reports had suggested that IOC president Thomas Bach was concerned after France’s far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, topped the first round of voting for a new parliament.
The second round of voting is set for Sunday.
Magazine Le Point had suggested that Bach had given a mid-July deadline, whether the Games would go ahead as planned for July 26 to Aug. 11.
But the IOC was quick to dismiss this.
“This is obviously part of the ongoing disinformation campaign against France, the IOC, and its president, and the Olympic Games.
“It has no factual basis whatsoever,” the IOC said late Wednesday on platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
“The IOC president and the entire Olympic Movement are looking forward with great anticipation to an excellent Olympic Games Paris 2024,” he said.
French organisers said they would investigate the origin of the reports, and sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra dismissed them as “indecent fake news” on X.
“Our Games will indeed be held in Paris, on the scheduled dates. We have been preparing for them for years.
”They will bring happiness to the whole world and pride to our country,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
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