Basile Boli, a former footballer renowned for his time with Marseille in the 1990s, initiated the torch relay from Marseille’s iconic Notre Dame de la Garde basilica. This marked the commencement of a journey involving approximately 10,000 torchbearers traversing over 450 towns before the Olympic Games’ inauguration in Paris on July 26.
Expressing his pride, Boli remarked, “I’m very proud, you know, because I see my city, Marseille, amazing, so I’m very happy to do that.” He passed the flame to Colette Cataldo, an ardent fan of Olympique de Marseille.
The torch’s arrival in Marseille on Wednesday (May 8) was celebrated with grandeur, attracting over 230,000 attendees at the Old Port ceremony. Originating from Greece, where it was lit, the torch was formally transferred to France.
Basketball luminary Tony Parker and various other personalities, including a fencing champion and a Michelin-starred chef, were selected to participate in the relay.
The relay participants traversed emblematic locations of Marseille, culminating their journey at the renowned Stade Vélodrome, home to fervent football aficionados.
Marseille will host the sailing competition and several soccer matches during the Games.