PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron tried out wheelchair basketball on Sunday, as he urged the public to support the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“I really want to encourage all our compatriots to buy tickets,” he said on the eve of the opening of the ticket office for the 2024 Paralympics.

Earlier, the 45-year-old played a few minutes of wheelchair basketball alongside Tony Estanguet, the chief organiser of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons.

He then tried his hand at table tennis with athlete Lucas Creange, a singles class 11 bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, to mark Paralympic Day in the French capital.

“Tomorrow the ticket office opens and these are going to be fantastic sporting moments,” said Mr Macron.

“These Paralympic Games will allow us to see very great athletes, major competitions, you have more than 300 (French) athletes who will be there.”

On Monday, some 2.8 million tickets went on sale on a first come, first served basis, with prices ranging from €15 to €100 (S$22 to S$144), excluding the opening and closing ceremonies.

“Half of these tickets cost less than €24, all the tickets are less than €100, so it’s a great opportunity to discover these sports,” the French leader added.

Ticket costs for the Olympic Games have been criticised as too expensive.

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said 300,000 tickets for the Paralympic Games would be distributed in particular to schools.

The state purchased 400,000 tickets, 100,000 for the Olympics and 300,000 for the Paralympic Games.

“We have high hopes for these Paralympic Games,” Estanguet said of the competition, which takes place from Aug 28 to Sept 8 after the Olympics, which run from July 26 to Aug 11. AFP