KUALA LUMPUR: National athletes will bank on evaporative air coolers to keep them cool in the summer heat at the Paris Olympics (July 26-Aug 11) games village.
National contingent chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Amin said the cooling units have been purchased and will be brought to Paris.
"We already knew during the CDMs visit to the games village last year (that there will be no air conditioning)," said Hamidin today.
"The athletes have also been informed, well in advance, that there is no air conditioning in the apartments.
"The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), National Sports Council (NSC) and the Road to Gold Programme Committee has already bought the air coolers for the athletes.
"We will bring them there (Paris) for our athletes to use."
To reduce the event's carbon footprint, Paris Olympics organisers designed the games village without air conditioning, but instead features a geothermal cooling system that can slightly lower indoor temperatures.
But the move has not gone down well with competing contingents, especially with higher summer temperatures being forecast for this year, as they fear it may affect the wellbeing of their athletes.
A number of nations including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and Great Britain have opted to pay for their own portable air conditioning units in the games village.
Hamidin was speaking after the OCM sponsorship presentation event with Samsonite Malaysia at Wisma OCM here today.
Samsonite has been appointed as the official luggage sponsor for the national contingent competing at the Paris Olympics.