Paris – At the 33rd Olympic Games, which commenced this Friday in Paris, eight athletes from Burkina Faso are set to represent their country in various sports, ranging from athletics to taekwondo.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Burkina Faso’s hopes in athletics will be led by Hugues Fabrice Zango in the triple jump and Marthe Koala in long jump. Both have previously secured their spots through qualification events. In taekwondo, competitors Fayçal Sawadogo in the -80kg category and Ibrahim Maïga in the -68kg category will also vie for medals. Additionally, four athletes received wild cards to participate: Awa Bamogo in cycling, Souleymane Nqaparé and Iman Firdaus in swimming, and Karmel Koné in judo.

World champion Hugues Fabrice Zango, entering the Games in top form, aims for a gold medal following his bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. His personal best stands at 17.57 meters, challenging him to compete against top athletes like Jordan Diaz of Spain and Pablo Pichardo of Portugal. Emotional management will be key for all Burkinabè athletes as they seek to achieve their goals.

The Burkinabè delegation consists of 36 members, including the athletes. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games, featuring 10,500 athletes from 206 nations, will host competitions in 28 Olympic sports across 329 events over 17 days. The event has mobilized 31,500 volunteers and expects around 11.3 million visitors. Approximately 26,000 accredited journalists and an additional 8,000 unaccredited journalists are covering the event.