India celebrates the 70th anniversary of Olympic Day

New Delhi, 23 June 2018: To celebrate the 70th Olympic Day on June 23, 2018, and in keeping with this year’s theme of ‘United By Sport’, The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in association with its member units and the International Olympic Committee brought together several thousand people of all ages and from different walks of life to participate in sporting activities all across India.

The Olympic Day is an annual global celebration of the spirit of Olympism that motivates millions of people all over the world to discover and experience the joy of sport.

This year’s theme, ‘United By Sport’ aims to highlight the unifying power of sports regardless of age, gender, religion, and nationality.

The 16 Indian State Olympic Associations including Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal, organized various sports activities, competitions and Olympic Day Run as part of their celebration on 23 June.

“Olympism unites the world not just through a once-in-four-years Olympic games, but also by bringing people together to build a more peaceful world. The Indian Olympic Association aims to reach out to all Indians to spread the values of Olympism in the coming years through massive public participative sporting events, cultural and educational programmes,” said Mr. Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General, IOA.

Commenting on the occasion, IOC President Thomas Bach said, “Olympic athletes show the whole world that it is possible to compete with each other while living peacefully together under one roof at the same time. They are competitors in sport, but they share their respect for each other in victory and defeat. Therefore, the athletes are our best ambassadors for our ideals and values. They lead by example. Our fragile world needs such symbols of friendship and tolerance more than ever before.”

Globally, National Olympic Committees, International and National Sports Federations, Organising Committees of Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, National Olympian Associations and Young Ambassador’s around the world have been organizing and participating in a variety of

Olympic Day activities to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, in the lead up to the Olympic Day on 23 June.

Sport has the power to unite through passion, teamwork, commitment, loss, and victory. It unites by creating a shared well-being of body and mind. United By celebrates the power of Olympism to have a lasting positive impact on people’s well-being – physically, mentally and socially – every day. It shows the values of Olympism and the global community it creates, building lifelong relationships that foster mutual respect amongst all.

To further the spirit of Olympism in 2018, the IOC is launching its first Olympism in Action Forum (OiAF) in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 5- 6 October 2018. The OiAF will bring together stakeholders across the Olympic Movement, and the society to open new dialogues, discuss global challenges, and share innovative experiences and inspiring stories to further mobilize sport to create a better world.