National contingent to be equipped with air cooler during Paris Olympics - Hamidin

KUALA LUMPUR: All national athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11 will be provided with portable air coolers to ease the hot summer weather in the French capital.

This follows the organisers' decision not to provide air conditioning in the Games Village which accommodates athletes from all over the country when the weather this season is expected to exceed normal levels in France.

The chef de mission (CDM) of 2024 Olympics Malaysian Contingent Datuk Mohd Hamidin Mohd Amin confirmed that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and the National Sports Council (NSC) are looking for an answer by supplying air coolers.

"We already knew from the beginning when the CDM visited last year and the athletes were also informed that there would be no air conditioning in the apartment. So we have an air cooler, we are ready to distribute them early," he told reporters after the ceremony to announce Samsonite as the official luggage sponsor of the national contingent to the Paris Olympics (official luggage partner) with a sponsorship value of RM346,380.

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, the organisers earlier announced that the 7,000 rooms in the Games Village will not be equipped with air conditioning, but will use a geothermal cooling system that guarantees the temperature inside the building is at least six degrees Celsius lower than the temperature outside.

With temperatures this summer predicted to be higher than the 25 to 42 degrees Celsius range recorded previously, some are expressing concern about potential health risks, including cramps, fatigue and heat stroke.

According to international media reports, the organisers recently announced that they have received orders for 2,500 air-conditioning units from several countries, including Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Ireland, Greece and Australia, with the additional cost borne by the contingent concerned.

Meanwhile, Hamidin advised all athletes to be more careful and always take care of safety ahead of the remaining 17 days before Olympics begins.

"We hope they can take care of their health, or be a little careful in training, otherwise it will be a loss if they get injured before the games start," he said commenting on the incident of road cyclist Nur Aisyah Mohamad Zubir who suffered minor injuries after an accident while participating in a competition in Belgium, on June 16.

Hamidin also confirmed the final number of 26 Malaysian athletes to the Olympics this time, after national diver Ooi Tze Liang did not get an additional slot from World Aquatics by the closing date, yesterday.

Asked about the medal target, he said he wanted to wait for an announcement from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh on the matter.

-- BERNAMA

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