2024 Olympics: IOC Says No Ban on Wearing Hijab at Athletes Village

PARIS (IQNA) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says that participants in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games can wear hijabs or other religious or cultural attire in the Olympic Village, where they live and socialize during the event.

However, this does not apply to French athletes, who are still banned from wearing hijabs during the competitions by their sports federation.

The IOC spokesperson told Reuters  that the IOC rules only apply to the Olympic Village, which hosts most of the 10,000 athletes who attend the Games. The spokesperson also said that the IOC was in contact with the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) to understand the situation with the French athletes.

The sports competitions at the Olympics are organized and supervised by the individual international sports federations, which have their own rules and regulations.

The IOC's ruling came after France's Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera announced on Sunday that French athletes would not be allowed to wear hijabs during the Paris Games, citing the principles of secularism.

She said on France 3 television  that the government was opposed to the display of religious symbols during sporting events to ensure "absolute neutrality in public services".

Source: Agencies