The first Olympic day was celebrated on 23 June in 1948 by countries including Venezuela, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Great Britain, and Uruguay.

Every year on 23 June, International Olympic Day is celebrated across the world. The day was initially observed to promote the idea of the Olympics and in order to celebrate the establishment of the International Olympic Committee(IOC). This committee was formed on 23 June, 1894 in Sorbonne, Paris. The Olympics games were revived by Pierre de Coubertin, as mentioned on the website of the International Olympic Committee.

International Olympic day history

The International Olympic Day was first observed in 1947. At the 41^st Session of the International Olympic Committee in Stockholm that year, Dr Josef Gruss, a Czeh IOC member, proposed the concept of a World Olympic Day. He advocated designating a day to commemorate everything the Olympics stands for. After a few months work, Dr. Gruss idea was approved at the 42^nd IOC session in Switzerland. The International Olympic Committee(IOC) was formed on the same day in Sorbonne, Paris, in 1894, and June 23 was chosen as the International Olympic Day because

of its historical significance.

International Olympic Day 2021 Significance

The International Olympic is significant as it aims to attract people, regardless of their age, gender, social background, to participate in the Olympics. The day now bases itself on three pillars- move, learn and discover to engage people to take part in sports or perform physical exercises regardless of their sporting ability. This is enabling the day to develop into much more than a run or just a sports event.

International Olympic Day 2021 Theme

Stay healthy, stay strong, stay active with the Olympic Day workout on June 23^rd.

International Olympic Day 2021 Activities

The international Olympic Day 2021 is incorporated into the school curriculum in few countries while others hold concerts and exhibitions. The recent Olympic Day activities also include meetings for children and young adults with top athletes.

International Olympic Day 2021

The International Olympic Day 2021 is being observed just a month ahead of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games, which were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympic games will now start from July 23 and conclude on August 8,2021.

The World Health Organization is expected to discuss managing COVID-19 risks with Japanese authorities and the International Olympic Committee during the Olympic Games. The organisers have announced that the audience will be allowed for the Olympic Games, filling up to 50 percent capacity of the venues.

A maximum of 10,000 domestic spectators will be allowed in Tokyo 2020 venues.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on the occasion saying,” Today on Olympic Day, I appreciate all those who have represented India in various Olympics over the years. Our nation is proud of their contributions to sports and their efforts towards motivating other athletes”.

Olympic Day Run

The International Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Runs all over the world for the last 20 years. The first Olympic run was launched in 1987 and 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the event. The run was organized to cover a distance of 10km. The Olympic Day Run symbolizes and supports the Sports for All movement by uniting men, women and children of all ages. Now, over 150 National Olympic Committees(NOCs) organize the

event in their respective countries.