ALBERTVILLE: The Olympic flag returned to French soil on Monday, less than two years after the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, as preparations began for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

The Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region and the French National Olympic and Sports Commi­ttee (CNOSF) welcomed back their delegation and the flag. The celebration drew a raucous crowd of thousands in Albertville, where the last Winter Olympics in France were held in 1992, following Chamonix 1924 and Grenoble 1968.

“A moment full of enthusiasm, part of the momentum building up to the 2030 Games,” Fabrice Pannekoucke, the president of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes regional council, said during last week’s press conference to introduce the celebration.

“We know that the history of the Winter Games in France stopped in Albertville.”

The event followed the ceremonial handover on Sunday, when Pannekoucke and his Prov­ence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur counterpart Renaud Muselier received the Olympic flag during the 2026 Games closing ceremony in Verona.

France enjoyed their best ever Winter Games haul in Milano-Cortina. Their 23 medals included eight golds.

“Sharing this with all the French fans will be a nice little moment of happiness,” biathlon mass start Olympic champion Oceane Michelon told reporters in Albertville.

Ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry won the Olympic title less than a year after forming their partnership.

“The pleasure we shared on the ice was amazing,” Fournier Beaudry said. “We don’t know yet what the future reserves for us but we know that we will keep skating together and we will regroup at the end of the season to see what we want to do.”

Ski mountaineers Thibault Anselmet and Emily Harrop won the inaugural mixed relay title at the Milano Cortina Games but the future of their event within the Olympics remains uncertain.

“We’re not sure yet whether ski mountaineering will be included, but we’re very hopeful and, based on what we’ve experienced here, we’re confident,” Harrop told reporters.

The celebration, attended by the French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, was held amid a governance crisis in the French Alps organising committee with a wave of resignations and “irreconcilable differences” between Games chief Edgar Grospiron and CEO Cyril Linette, according to an official statement.

We’re managing, we’re keeping things going. There’s turbulence, we agree, but we’re working, Grospiron said on France TV. When you aim high, it inevitably makes the difficulties greater, but I won’t compromise on our vision.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026

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COLOMBO: New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said on Tuesday adapting to slow-turning pitches in Colombo would be key for their crucial T20 World Cup clash against co-hosts Sri Lanka.The Black Caps need a win in their second Super Eights match in Group 2 on Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium after their first match against Pakistan was washed out at the same venue.

Santner’s team have been in the Sri Lankan capital for a week after finishing their group stage in India.

“I guess that’s the challenge when you play a tournament in two countries – we played in Chennai and Ahmedabad on flat pitches and here we have to play a bit differently,” Santner told reporters.

“But I think you pick a squad of 15, knowing that you could potentially be in both countries on slightly slower wickets, on some flat ones as well.”

Santner, a left-arm spinner, said, “So I think we have the spin kind of options covered as well, which is nice, but it’s just going out there and adjusting as fast as you can.”

Sri Lanka come into the contest in a must-win situation after they suffered a huge 51-run loss to England in their Super Eights opener in Pallekele.

But Santner said Sri Lanka are always a tough nut to crack in their own backyard.

“Sri Lanka are a very strong side at home and they dominate conditions here,” said Santner.

“They are missing a couple of players but there’s quality in that line-up. We are lucky that we have played them a lot in recent years and there are no secrets.”

New Zealand have one point from the rained-off match, while Sri Lanka stay bottom among four teams in the Super Eights group.

A defeat for New Zealand will dent their chances of making the semi-finals.

“Any game in the Super Eight is sort of knock out,” said Santner. “We know that it is the same for Sri Lanka. We want to put out a good show tomorrow and walk out with a win.”

‘SL Can Rescue Campaign’

Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage said that the co-hosts can win both their remaining Super Eight matches to rescue their faltering T20 World Cup campaign.

“We have got to now win both these games,” left-arm spinner Wellalage told reporters.

“We know how important a home World Cup is. The fans have turned up in numbers and we have always believed that we can make it to the semi-finals.

“The last two games haven’t gone to our plan but we are looking forward to the must-win clash tomorrow.”

The 23-year-old Wellalage has stood up for Sri Lanka in the absence of senior bowlers Matheesha Pathirana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Eshan Malinga because of injury.

Wellalage bowled in the power play against England and finished with three wickets including captain Harry Brook.

“It was a challenge bowling during the power plays and the key was for me to deny the batsmen boundaries,” he said.

“I had to be clever with my lengths and when I did that the batters had to take a few chances. I relished the new challenge.”

Sri Lanka have struggled in global tournaments since winning the T20 World Cup in 2014.

They hosted New Zealand in late 2024 winning Test and ODI series and drawing a T20 series 1-1.“We have played New Zealand a lot in recent years and we know that we can beat them in these conditions,” Wellalage said. “We are still in with a chance to make it to the semis and winning tomorrow will be important.”

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026

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