Every year International Olympic Day is observed on June 23. The day is celebrated for sports and health, where people associated with sports come together to promote and practice mass sports. In 1947, Doctor Gruss, a Czech member of the International Olympic Committee, proposed the notion of a World Olympic Day. The day was commemorated a year later as the beginning of the modern Olympic Games.
The first-ever Olympics Day was celebrated on 23 June in the year 1948 in Sorbonne, Paris.
HISTORY
The history of this day lies in the 42nd IOC Session in St Moritz.
In the year 1948, doctor Gruss, a Czech IOC member, represented the idea of World Olympic day at the 41st session of the International Olympic Committee in Stockholm, Sweden.
The day is based on the idea of the Olympic movement. And it celebrates the founding of the IOC at Sorbonne Paris on June 23, 1894, where Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games.
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) created this event, which marks a special moment in the history of the Olympic movement.
Themes
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY 2021: THEME
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY 2022: THEME
The theme for the 2022 International Olympic Day is “Together For A Peaceful World.” The theme represents the ability of sports to bring the world together and dimmish the differences.
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY: SIGNIFICANCE
The day is observed to motivate and encourage people to participate in the Olympic games and spread awareness about the various sporting events . It focuses and highlights the three values of the Olympics – Excellence, Respect, and Friendship – and guides people to imbibe these values in their everyday lives.
Multiple activities are organised by the National and the International Olympic Committee to observe the day. Celebrated across 150 countries, the International Olympic Day witnesses the Olympic Day runs. Other sporting events and competitions are held in schools and other institutions to mark the event.
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY: QUOTES
“I hated every minute of training, but I said ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”- Mohammad Ali
“Never buy gold, simply earn it”- Mary Kom
“Remember this. Hold on to this. This is the only perfection there is the perfection of helping others. This is the only thing we can do that has any lasting meaning. This is why we’re here” – Andre Agassi
“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement” – Matt Biondi
“People throw stones at you, and you convert them into milestones”- Sachin Tendulkar
“The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practising every day, trying to be a better player than before”- Rafael Nadal
“You got to try and reach for the stars or try and achieve the unreachable”- Cathy Freeman
“If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people are not willing to do”- Michael Phelps
“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body”- Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan
Did you know that the five differently coloured Olympic rings represent the union between five continents and different athletes around the world to participate in the Olympic games?
Olympics Day 2022: Important Facts
- Baron Pierre De Coubertin is known as the father of the modern Olympics.
- Women participated in the Olympic games for the first time at the Paris Olympics held in 1900.
- In the year 1896, the first modern Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece.
FAQs
The International Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June to promote sports and health. The day commemorates the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. It also highlights the idea of the Olympics and spreads the message of sports being an integral part of a healthy and fit life.
The first Olympic Day was celebrated on 23 June 1948. Greece, Austria, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Uruguay, Venezuela and Belgium organised an Olympic Day in their respective countries.
