Saudi Sports for All Federation Delegation Meets with Greek Sports Executives

The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) concludes visit to Athens, Greece - SPA
The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) concludes visit to Athens, Greece - SPA
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Saudi Sports for All Federation Delegation Meets with Greek Sports Executives

The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) concludes visit to Athens, Greece - SPA
The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) concludes visit to Athens, Greece - SPA

The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) concluded a visit to Athens, Greece, from May 7 to 10. The visit focused on exchanging expertise, exploring international best practices in community sports, and learning about popular sports facilities and effective techniques for promoting sports participation.oard of Directors, and Executive Director Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, met with the Greek Minister of Education, Religious Af
The federation delegation, led by Prince Khalid bin Alwaleed bin Talal, Chairman of the Bfairs, and Sports, Jiannis Frutis, and the Secretary General for Sports Affairs, George Mavrotas.

Discussions covered governance, the role of sports in promoting mental health and quality of life, and the unveiling of the "Kouros" platform, a unique digital tool that tracks sports participation and performance data. This platform aids in data-driven decision-making and talent development across 63 federations. The Greek team also reviewed financial incentives for sports clubs and innovative community sports programs, SPA reported.
The delegation also met with the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, and his team to discuss the importance of community sports policies and initiatives. The Greek side highlighted efforts to reduce car usage and encourage cycling and other means of transportation. Plans for international events, including the "Tour of Hellas," were discussed to activate cycling trails and promote cultural exchanges among community members.
On the last day of the visit, the SFA delegation toured the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, the Peace and Friendship Stadium, and the Athens Olympic Museum to explore and transfer international best practices to the Kingdom.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.