The French Institute in Beirut organized a ceremonial event to honor Lebanese volunteers participating in the organization of the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games taking place from August 28 to September 8. The event was held in the garden of the French consulate.
French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, Chairman of the Olympic Committee Dr. Pierre Jalakh, Dr. Raja Labaki representing the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. George Kallas, Director of "Sports Academy School" Dr. George Asaf, several embassy officials, volunteers and their families, as well as a number of Lebanese sports champions and media personnel attended the event. Magro gave a speech welcoming the attendees, discussing the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympics starting on July 26, and expressed delight at the involvement of over twenty Lebanese volunteers in organizing the Olympic games.
He announced the attendance of 16 Lebanese firefighters who helped extinguish the fires following the explosion on August 4, 2020, participating in the Olympic competitions. Magro addressed the volunteers, saying, "You have excelled and followed preparations for two years; I congratulate you, and your families are proud of you. You are ambassadors of Lebanon to the Olympics, and I want to thank 'Sports Academy School', 'France Volontaire', the Lebanese and French Olympic Committees, and the relevant sports federations." He added, "The French embassy supports Lebanese sports."
For his part, Dr. George Asaf said, "It is a great honor to be present here, and I would like to thank the French embassy, the French Institute, and the Olympic Committee for their support of the volunteer project, which has been successful by all standards. I am very happy that Lebanese volunteers are participating in organizing the upcoming Paris Olympics, and our project shows that sports are not limited to players alone but also to organizers and administrators. The motto of the Paris Olympics is freedom, equality, and brotherhood." Asaf continued, saying, "As the director of Sports Academy School, which is the first technical and vocational school in Lebanon specialized in sports, I am convinced that sports should be considered a professional factor." He concluded, "I am pleased with the cooperation between the Sports Academy School and many local sports federations and French institutions."
The ceremony concluded with prominent attendees distributing certificates to the volunteers amidst a festive atmosphere.
