Super Saturday for Arab athletes as Paris 2024 Olympics get into full swing

Mena nations begin their quest for medals across 17 different sports

Jordan’s first Olympic gymnast Ahmad Abu Al Soud commences his assault on a historic gold in pommel horse on Saturday. AFP

Follow the latest news on the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics start with a bang on Saturday as the wait is finally over and the world's top athletes begin their pursuit of glory.

Friday night's opening ceremony declared the 33rd Summer Games officially open and now it's time for the action to commence.

That includes the hundreds of competitors from across the Mena region who are in Paris and dreaming of taking home a medal.

Everything from surfing to gymnastics is on the schedule on a blockbuster first full day of competition in the French capital.

What’s on the agenda today?

An incredibly busy day at the Paris Olympics will feature Arab athletes competing across 17 sports.

Egypt’s world No 1 sabre fencer Ziad Elsissy begins his individual campaign at Paris’ Grand Palais and has a bye in the first round.

In the round of 32, the 29-year-old Elsissy awaits the winner of the bout between Canada’s Francois Cauchon and Argentina’s Pascual Maria di Tella.

Elsissy is looking to become the second Egyptian, after foil fencer Alaaeldin Abouelkassem, to win a medal in fencing at the Olympics.

Jordan’s first Olympic gymnast Ahmad Abu Al Soud commences his assault on a historic gold in pommel horse by taking part in men’s qualification of artistic gymnastics.

The top-ranked Abu Al Soud owns two World Championship medals and swept three of the four World Cups this year in the build-up to Paris 2024.

Tennis action gets under way at Roland Garros with Lebanese wildcard Hady Habib taking on reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz on Court Suzanne Lenglen, while his countryman Benjamin Hassan will face American Christopher Eubanks last on Court 7.

Tunisian Moez Echargui, who punched his ticket to the Olympics by clinching gold at the African Games in men’s tennis singles, is also in action against Great Britain’s Dan Evans.

In the evening, 16-year-old table tennis prodigy Hana Goda of Egypt will get her Paris 2024 Olympics under way with a round of 64 clash against 30-year-old Dutchwoman Britt Eerland.

Egyptian duo Omar Assar and Dina Meshref will be in action in table tennis mixed doubles.

Egypt’s men’s handball team are podium contenders in Paris and will start their Group B play with a showdown against Hungary, while Egypt (v Uzbekistan), Iraq (v Argentina), and Morocco (v Ukraine) will all contest their second round-robin football games today.

Iraq enjoyed a dramatic start to the men's football section in midweek as substitute Ali Jasim secured a 2-1 win against Ukraine in Group B. Egypt were held to a 0-0 draw by Dominican Republic in their Group C opener.

Morocco, meanwhile, got off to a flying start with a controversial 2-1 win over Argentina, also in Group B.

Some 16,000km away in Tahiti, the surfing competition will begin with Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam looking to replicate the form that won him third place at the very same wave – the famous Teahupo’o – earlier this season on the WSL Championship Tour.