Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Defense Minister and President-elect, was present at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The event took place on the Seine River in Paris on Friday, July 26, 2024, at 7:30 PM local time, or Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 12:30 AM WIB.
The opening ceremony began with a parade of participating nations, including Indonesia. Despite the rain in Paris, Prabowo, wearing a transparent raincoat, stood up from his seat on the banks of the Seine to wave and offer words of encouragement to the Indonesian athletes as they passed by.
The Indonesian contingent, consisting of fourteen athletes, made their way through the parade. The team included Chef de Mission Anindya Bakrie, flag bearer Maryam March Maharani, cyclist Bernard Benjamin van Aert, and swimmers Azzahra Permatahani and Joe Aditya. They were all dressed in sporty and elegant outfits designed by Didit Hediprasetyo, inspired by the story of Raden Saleh, featuring red and white hues and Javanese blangkon headpieces.
This opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics was unique as it was held outside the main stadium, with athletes parading along the Seine River on 85 boats. The parade showcased various landmarks of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Olympic participants will be competing from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
