International Olympic Day 2024: History, Theme, Significance

International Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June. On this day, sports enthusiasts around the world, including athletes, and sports officials take part in the commemoration of the establishment of the International Olympic Committee. The younger ones in the world of sports who have just started their journey are encouraged for their future, while motivation is shared with others to join in sports activities. As the Olympics is the world’s largest international sporting event, International Olympic Day brings together all the people in the field all around the world. Keep on reading to know all about the history, theme, and significance of this important day.

Name of the day	International Olympic Day
Observed on	23 June
Declared by	International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Reason	It commemorates the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Nature of Celebration	Worldwide

History of International Olympic Day

1. The International Olympic Committee was established on 23 June 1894. It was founded at the Sorbonne in Paris.
2. Baron Pierre de Coubertin who was a sports enthusiast and French educator, founded this committee. The purpose was to revive the idea of sports in promoting international peace.  
3. Since then, International Olympic Day has been celebrated every year to commemorate its establishment and highlight the importance of sports. 
4. Additionally, the idea was to promote sports or the Olympic games, its values and inspiration, to bring people together in unity, cooperation, and peace by embracing physical activity. 

What is the Theme of International Olympic Day in 2024? 

The theme for 2024 has not been released by official sources yet. We will update it here once the theme is available. The theme in 2023 was “Let’s Move”.

Also Read: India’s Only Gymnast at Tokyo Olympics – Pranati Nayak

Significance of International Olympic Day

The significance of this day is hidden in the significance of sports itself. Though one of the main ideas is to promote the Olympic games and their values while encouraging people to actively participate in the same; the significance of the day is more profound in the sense that it aims to bring people together through sports. Let’s go through some of the key significant points that shed light on the importance of the day. 

1. The day acts as a reminder of the legacy of the Olympic games and their role in shaping modern society 
2. The day encourages people to make healthier changes in their lives by introducing the presence of physical activity
3. It highlights the benefits of sports in preventing various health concerns
4. Moreover, the day also promotes the accessibility of sports so more and more people can have the required resources to participate in them 
5. Finally, the day also recognises and celebrates the achievements of various Olympians. 

Also Read: All You Need to Know About the Tokyo Paralympics 

How to Celebrate International Olympics Day?

Now, how is this day celebrated or how can it be celebrated? Let’s check out some of the points below. 

1. Several countries celebrate the day by holding sporting events at local, state, national, or international levels.
2. Schools can also celebrate this day by organising the Olympic theme games and encouraging students to participate.
3. Organisations take to social media to celebrate this day by sharing various Olympic and sports-related messages to a wider audience. You can also take part in this conversation/discussion. 
4. The history and culture of the Olympic games are brought to light with cultural events organised by different countries. 
5. Furthermore, you can celebrate this day by introducing regular physical exercise/activities in your life!

Also Read: Meet CA Bhavani Devi, the First Indian Fencer to Qualify for Olympics

Olympic Day Run 

One of the prominent celebrations and core activities of International Olympic Day is the Olympic Day Run. This was launched in 1987. The National Olympic Committees of different nations organise this large-scale activity, thereby promoting mass sport. When the first Olympic Day Run was held in 1987, only 50 nations participated. But as time has passed, and the Olympics has gained the extraordinary traction that it has, more than 150 nations participate in this Olympic Day Run now. 

FAQs

For more information about such informative articles, check the trending events page of Leverage Edu.