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Riyadh to Host Gulf Esports League Finals 2024 on June 27-28

The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
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Riyadh to Host Gulf Esports League Finals 2024 on June 27-28

The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA
The Saudi Esports Federation said Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals on June 27- 28. SPA

The Saudi Esports Federation has announced that Riyadh will be hosting the GCC Esports League 2024 finals, taking place from June 27 to 28.
The championship will feature intense competitions in Rocket League and TEKKEN 8, with a total prize pool of $150,000.
This tournament is the latest addition to the growing esports scene in the Middle East; it will feature elite professionals and top clubs from six countries competing in thrilling matches.
The league's first event started with the group stage and ran from May 12 to 21. Twelve teams from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates competed in an online Rocket League tournament, one of the world's most popular titles.
President of the Saudi Esports Federation Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan emphasized the Kingdom's dedication to developing the esports sector, supporting talents, and organizing top-notch events and tournaments.
Among the contenders are Kuwait's Xenon Esports and Oman's National Team B, which secured their spots in the finals as winners of Groups A and B, respectively, in the first online stage of the tournament.
Other strong competitors include Bahrain National Team, Unity Esports from Kuwait, KHK Esports from Bahrain, Twisted Minds, and Team Falcons representing Saudi Arabia.

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Workers Take Down Olympic Rings from Eiffel Tower – for Now

Tourists sit on the Olympic rings displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
Tourists sit on the Olympic rings displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
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Workers Take Down Olympic Rings from Eiffel Tower – for Now

Tourists sit on the Olympic rings displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
Tourists sit on the Olympic rings displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

Workers removed the Olympics logo from the Eiffel Tower in the early hours of Friday, returning the beloved monument to its familiar form -- but perhaps only temporarily.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised to build new Olympic rings and return them to the landmark as a tribute to the hugely successful Olympic Games held in the capital during July and August.

The proposal has polarized opinion in the French capital and has been criticized by descendants of the tower's designer Gustave Eiffel, as well as conservation groups.

After initially suggesting the new rings should be permanent, Hidalgo has proposed they remain on the city's world-renowned symbol until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Workers operating multiple large cranes removed the 30-tonne steel rings from between the first and second floors of the tower during the early hours of Friday morning.

They were first installed just under four months ago, on June 7, and will now be melted down and recycled.

The new rings, which the International Olympic Committee is expected to pay for, would be lighter versions of the originals and less prominent, according to a deputy Paris mayor, Pierre Rabadan.

"In my opinion, it would be better to put them somewhere else because it's a Parisian monument and it's not right that it becomes an advertising medium for an event that is now over," Hugo Staub, a French tourist at the tower on Friday, told AFP.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati, a longtime critic and opponent of Hidalgo, has also cast doubt over the idea, saying the mayor's proposal would need to respect procedures protecting historic buildings.

But others felt regret at losing a visual reminder of an enchanted period in Paris and expressed support for the idea of replacements.

"They were a bit large so it's better to put small ones that can remain for a few years," said Gabriel, a French volunteer at the Games, who was at the foot of the tower on Friday. "It would be symbolic and a great souvenir."