International Olympic Day 2021
Source : PIB
General Awareness
What is Discussed under International Olympic Day 2021 ?
- About International Olympic Day 2021
- International Olympic Committee
- India And Olympics
- 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo
Why in News ?
The Prime Minister International Olympic Day 2021 has conveyed the pride that nation feels for those who have represented India in various Olympics over the years.
- Wised the best to the Indian contingent for Tokyo Olympic.
Key Facts
- The day was chosen by the International Olympic Committee in 1948.
- It aims to promote the Olympic idea and the importance of organising mass sports competitions all around the world.
Photo by Vytautas Dranginis on Unsplash - As a result of the effort many nations adopted it to empower youth and represent nations in the global sports competitiop.
- Besides a number of school from various countries adopted Olympics/Sports as a part of their curriculum.
- What is special about this Year ?
- Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled to be held between July 23 and August 8.
- Infact this was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The event will be referred to as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- A total of 339 events across 33 sports are lined up at the Games from different countries.
International Olympic Committee
- Non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, authority responsible for organising the Summer and Winter Olympic Games
- It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss Civil Code (articles 60-79).
- IOC is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
- NOC is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement.
- Nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games.
- Promote the development of athletes and training of coaches and officials at a national level.
- Olympic Day Run is usually held during June 17–24 by NOCs with 1.5 km Olympic Day Fun Run, 5 km and 10 km running activities,
- As of 2020, there are 206 National Olympic Committees across the globe.
- 193 member states of the United Nations,
- UN observer state (Palestine)
- UN non-member state in free association with New Zealand, the Cook Islands
- States with limited recognition Kosovo and Taiwan.
- Current president of the IOC is Thomas Bach of Germany.
- In 2009 the UN General Assembly granted the IOC Permanent Observer status.
- IOC aims to :
- Encourage and support the organisation, development and coordination of sport and sports competitions.
- Regular celebration of the Olympic Games.
- Act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement.
- Encourage and support the promotion of women in sport.
India And Olympics
- 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.
- Sir Dorabji Tata suggested the need for a Sports body at National level for promoting Olympic Sport in united India IN 1920’s
- The nation first sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1920
- 1923-24 a provisional All India Olympic Committee was set-up
- Which organised the All India Olympic Games in February 1924.
- That later became the National Games of India.
- In 1927 the Indian Olympic Association was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
- Indian Olympic Association selected sportspersons to represent India at the Olympic Games.
- Later, the IOA also started sending National Teams to Games of the CGF and OCA.
- Indian Participation and achievements
- Indian athletes have won 28 medals, all at the Summer Games.
- India national field hockey team was dominant that winning eleven medals in twelve Olympics between 1920 and 1980.
- At the 2016 Summer Olympics, a record number of 118 athletes competed.
- In the 1952 Summer Olympics wrestler K.D. Jadhav won the first individual medal for independent India.
- Wrestler Sushil Kumar became the first Indian with multiple individual Olympic medals.
- Saina Nehwal won bronze medal in badminton in Women’s singles getting the country’s first Olympic medal in badminton.
- Sakshi Malik became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal with her bronze medal.
- Shuttler P. V. Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in Olympics and also the youngest Indian Olympic medallist.
- India has never hosted an Olympic Games.
2020 Summer Olympics
- Upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020 was postponed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This is the first time that the Olympic Games have been postponed and rescheduled.
- Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013.
- Hosting Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 making this the first city in Asia to host the Summer Games twice.
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