No sports celebration on Olympic Day |24 June 2020

IOC president Thomas Bach

Celebrated on June 23, Olympic Day is usually a celebration of sports and health. Locally a series of activities is organised by the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, which is a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdown and the organisers of the Olympic Games have had to postpone the event from this year to next, no special activity was organised here yesterday.

But around the world, the Olympic Movement came up with the world’s largest 24-hour digital-first Olympic workout. This came about after Olympians shared their daily workouts as well as tips for staying healthy in body and mind during lockdown.

In his video message on the unusual Olympic Day this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach had this to say: “Celebrating Olympic Day may feel very different from all previous years, but at the same time, on this Olympic Day, our message of the power of sport to bring hope and optimism to everyone resonates even stronger.”

“Let us join together to use this power of sport to prepare the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as a moment of solidarity and resilience of humankind,” he added.

Olympic Day 2020 was always set to stand out in the event’s 72-year history. Commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894, Olympic Day was established in 1948 and is celebrated to promote participation in sport regardless of age, gender or athletic ability, as well as being an opportunity to celebrate the Olympic values around the world.

“We are all in the same situation right now,” added IOC president Bach.

“With the global coronavirus crisis, all of us are living with much uncertainty about the future. In these difficult times, we need the values of sport, our shared Olympic values of excellence, friendship, respect and solidarity, more than ever. The Olympic flame can be the light at the end of the dark tunnel that we all find ourselves in now. On Olympic Day, we are sending this Olympic message to everybody. Please stay strong, stay active, stay healthy. In this Olympic spirit, I wish you all a wonderful Olympic Day 2020,” he concluded.

Compiled by Gerard Govinden

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