In news
The International Olympics Day is observed on June 23 every year to celebrate sports and health
About the International Olympic Day
- This occasion celebrates the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Sorbonne, Paris, on June 23, 1894, where Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games.
- The day aims at promoting sports and spreads the message of making sports an integral part of life.
- Olympic Day is based on three pillars:-
- Move
- Learn
- Detect
- The day was chosen by the International Olympic Committee in 1948 to promote the Olympic idea and the importance of organising mass sports competitions across the world.
- Over the last couple of decades, Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Runs all over the world.
- First launched in 1987, the run was about encouraging all NOCs to celebrate Olympic Day and promoting the practice of mass sport.
- From 45 participating NOCs in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown to more than one hundred participating NOCs.
- The Olympic Games are an international sports event, held every four years featuring summer and winter sports competitions.
India in Olympic
- India first participated in the Olympics in 1900 in Paris. The country was represented by Norman Pritchard, an Anglo Indian who was holidaying in Paris during that time.
- India for the very first time sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1920, and has participated in every Summer Games since then while winning 28 medals.
- India has also competed at several Winter Olympic Games beginning 1964, but never won any medals.
- India has won 12 medals at the Summer Paralympic since the nation’s debut at the 1968 Games and is still to participate in the Winter Paralympic Games.
- Indian Hockey team won the gold 6 times continuously from 1928 to 1956.
History of Indian Olympic Association
- The seeds for creation of an organisation for coordinating the Olympic movement in India was related to India’s participation in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, when Sir Dorabji Tata suggested the need for a Sports body at National level for promoting Olympic Sport in united India.
- After the 1920 Games, the Committee sending the team to these Games met, and, on the advice of Sir Dorabji Tata, invited Dr. A.G. Noehren (Physical Education Director of YMCA India) to also join them.
- Subsequently, in 1923-24, a provisional All India Olympic Committee was set-up, which organised the All India Olympic Games (that later became the National Games of India) in February 1924.
- Eight athletes from these Games were selected to represent India at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, accompanied by manager Harry Crowe Buck.
- This gave impetus to the development and institutionalization of sports in India, and, in 1927, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was formed, with Sir Dorabji Tata as its founding President and Dr. A.G. Noehren as Secretary.
- The same year as it was formed, 1927, the Indian Olympic Association was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Source: TOI
