French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla says she was banned from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony because she wears a hijab and the French Olympic Committee said it is working with her to find a solution that adheres to secular team requirements for athletes.
Sylla, a 26-year-old member of the women’s and mixed 400-meter relay teams, shared her frustration on Instagram.
“You are selected for the Olympics, organised by your country, but you cannot participate in the opening ceremony because you are wearing a headscarf.”
France applies a strict principle of “laïcité” which translates to “secularism”. Yesterday, the president of the French Olympic Committee David Lappartient said that French Olympians must be governed by the principles of secularity that apply to public sector workers in the country, separating state from church, which includes a veto on the hijab.
“I think it’s something that is perhaps not understood in other countries around the world, but it is part of France’s DNA,” he said.
Lappartient confirmed that they are holding discussions with Sylla to find a solution that adheres to the team’s secular requirements and respects “their legitimate wishes for their beliefs to be respected.”
“I have no doubt that we can find a solution,” he said.
Sylla’s post has been supported by other athletes, including those from the French team, who have expressed their outrage.
Sylla has competed with a black scarf at several events, including the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as the World Relay Championships in May 2024.
They try to destabilize
France has foiled several plans to destabilise the Olympic Games, authorities said yesterday.
The country has been on high alert in recent weeks amid final preparations for hosting the Games. The Games will officially open with a lavish but highly secure ceremony on the River Seine.
Paris prosecutors said Tuesday they arrested a 40-year-old Russian-born man on suspicion of “destabilizing the Olympic Games.”—AP
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2024-08-10 22:43:43