JUNE 23 is Olympic Day

By Sammy Heywood Okine

*On 23 June, Olympic Day is celebrated all around the world: hundreds of
thousands of people – young and old – get moving and participate in sporting
and cultural activities, such as runs, exhibitions, music and educational
seminars. Over the last two decades, the event has helped to spread the
Olympic ideals to every corner of the world.*

Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern
Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to
promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or
athletic ability.

Over the last 20 years, Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day
Runs all over the world. From 45 participating National Olympic Committees
(NOCs) in the first edition in 1987, today the large majority of the 205
NOCs is joining in. What’s more, many of the participating NOCs are in
Africa – proving the event’s worldwide appeal.

Nowadays, Olympic Day is developing into much more than just a sports event.
Based on the three pillars “move”, “learn” and “discover”, National Olympic
Committees are organising sports, cultural and educational activities.

Some countries have incorporated the event into the school curriculum and,
in recent years, many NOCs have added concerts and exhibitions to the
celebration. Recent NOC activities have included meetings for children and
young people with top athletes and the development of new web sites
directing people to programmes in their neighbourhood. This makes it easier
for everybody to become part of Olympic Day.

*Ghanaian NOC*

Following the suspension of the NOC of Ghana in January, the government of
Ghana has taken appropriate steps to revise the sports legislation in
question, so that it would now be compatible with the basic principles of
the Olympic Charter which govern the Olympic Movement.

The EB has recognised these efforts and positive developments and might
therefore be in a position to consider lifting the suspension of the NOC at
its next meeting in early July 2011 in Durban.