Olympic Day run at Ratnapura
Chinthana WASALA
Over 1000 school children from 11 schools in Ratnapura District will
take part in this year�s Olympic Day Run which will start at the public
Ground, Ratnapura New Town tomorrow. The run will start at 8.00a.m.
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Last years Olympic Day Run in progress at Polonnaruwa |
Sri Lanka Telecom has come forward to sponsor this year�s event which
is organized by the Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee in
collaboration with Chief Minister Sabaragamuwa Province Maheepala Herath,
Sabaragamuwa Provincial Education Ministry, Provincial Sports Ministry
and Sri Lanka Police.
Since Sri Lanka�s first Olympic Day Run which took place in 1990, the
NOC has staged the event in various provinces as a fun run to popularize
Olympics, to make people aware of the Olympics and to Take the Olympics�
Message to the world.
Along with the run, there is a special program arranged to make
school children aware of protecting environment and a special program of
tree planting campaign too will be held.
President SLNOC Hemasiri Fernando stated that there will be
additional sports activities organized along with next year�s run and
Chief Minister Sabaragamuwa Province Maheepala Herath said that every
step would be taken to ensure a successful Olympic Day Run to add colour
to the City of Gems.
What is Olympic Day Run?
Olympic Day Run is an international Olympic Movement activity which
is organized by all 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the world
in order to promote the mass participation of sports to make people
aware of the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established on June 23,
1894 as a revival of the ancient Olympic Games.
Olympic games did not take place in 1940 and 1944 due to World War
II. After the war, in 1948, the games were held in London. In the same
year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the idea of
Olympic Day to commemorate the creation of the IOC on June 23, 1894.
Olympic Day was held for the first time on June 23, 1948 with nine
NOCs hosting ceremonies. Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain,
Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela hosted ceremonies
for the first Olympic Day.
The first Olympic Day Run was held in 1987, over a distance of 10km,
with 45 NOCs taking part.
The Olympic Day Run is usually held during June 17-24 by NOCs, with a
run of less than 8 km. |
