International Olympic Day 2023: International Olympic Day is organized every year on 23 June. This day is mainly celebrated to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games. The day is also celebrated to celebrate the health and harmony aspect associated with sports. The day marks the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
International Olympic Day 2023: When and who started the Olympic Day?
The first Olympic Day in the world was celebrated on 23 June 1948. On the occasion, Siegfried Edstrom, the President of the IOC, gave a message to the youth around the world. Portugal, Greece, Austria, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Uruguay, Venezuela and Belgium had organized Olympic Day in their respective countries.
International Olympic Day 2023: Significance
The day is celebrated to encourage more and more people to participate in the Olympic Games and to spread awareness about the event. It focuses on and highlights the three Olympic values – excellence, respect and friendship – and guides people to imbibe these values in their daily lives.
International Olympic Day 2023: What is the Olympic Games?
The Olympic Games, an athletic festival that originated in ancient Greece and began to reopen in the late 19th century. Prior to the 1970s the Games were officially limited to competitors with amateur status, but in the 1980s a number of events were opened to professional athletes. Currently, sports are open to all, even top professional athletes in basketball and football (soccer). The ancient Olympic Games included many of the sports that are now part of the Summer Games program, at times including events in 32 different sports. In 1924, winter sports were approved for winter sports. The Olympic Games have come to be considered the world’s leading sports competition.
