The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic mascots are Phrygian caps, which represent freedom in France.
Phrygian caps are historic international badges of liberty, worn by freed slaves in Rome, and later became a symbol of the French Revolution in the late 18th century.
“Rather than an animal, our mascots represent an ideal,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said. “Since it is familiar to us and appears on our stamps and the pediments of our town halls, it also represents French identity and spirit.”
In a symbol of inclusion, one of the two mascots, called Phryges (free-jes, like freeze with a “j”), wears a prosthetic running blade to highlight Paralympic athletes.
Most Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been animals. The Phryges were compared to Minions or The Smurfs by Paris 2024 organizers.
Each Phryge was given a personality. The Olympic Phryge is “the smart one” with a “methodical mind and alluring charm.”
The Paralympic Phryge is “a party animal, spontaneous and a bit hotheaded.”
The Phryges will be present at major sports and cultural events in France in the run up to the Games, which open July 26, 2024.
France had the first unofficial Olympic mascot for the 1968 Grenoble Winter Games — a man on skis called Schuss.
The new Crescent moon of the month of Ramadan has not been sighted in Sri Lanka this evening (22) and therefore Muslims in Sri Lanka will begin the month of Ramadan fasting from dawn on Friday (March 24), the Colombo Grand Mosque says. Muslims all over the world will observe a month of fasting and prayers during Ramadan to commemorate the time when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed on the night of “Laylat Al Qadr”.
Fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that due to the public sector engaging in business activities, the money that was available for the construction of 100 projects similar to the Mahaweli during the past decades, has been destroyed.
He noted that in the future, the public sector will stop engaging in business and open it to the private sector to create a free and productive economy.
President Wickremesinghe mentioned this at the 71st commemoration ceremony of the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at Independence Square today (22).
Recalling that Mr. D.S. Senanayake’s vision was to create a free economy, the President said that business should be done by the private sector and that the country could be developed with the tax revenue obtained from them.
However, due to the nationalization in 1956, the Government started engaging in business and that is why the tax revenue was inadequate for the development of the country, the President pointed out.
He stated that the country has distanced itself from Mr. D.S. Senanayake’s vision, but following his vision, Singapore has become a developed country today and said that despite our politicians dreaming of making Sri Lanka a Singapore, the destruction caused to Sri Lanka in the last 75 years due to the decisions of certain political movements is immense.
Therefore, the President further mentioned that Senanayake’s legacy should be carried forward to build a strong and powerful Sri Lanka.
President Wickremesinghe also laid floral tributes at the statue of the late D. S. Senanayake.
The Chief Incumbent of the Kollupitiya Polwatta Sri Dharmakeerthi Monastery Venerable Dr. Bandarawela Wimaladharma Thera delivered a special sermon.
Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President Mr Sagala Ratnayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change Mr Ruwan Wijayawardena, Former Speaker Mr Karu Jayasuriya, Former Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, Rohitha Bogollagama, Karunasena Kodithuwakku, Rukman Senanayake, former Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake, former Provincial Councilor Shantini Kongahage, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage and several others attended the event.