Olympic Movement Olympic Movement The Olympic Movement is a concerted, organised, universal and Permanent action carried out under the supre...
Olympic Movement
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| Olympic Movement |
The Olympic Movement is a concerted, organised, universal and Permanent action carried out under the supreme authority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It includes the International Sports Federations (ISFs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), s athletes, judges referees, coaches and other organisations and the People guided by the Olympic " Pierre de When the ancient city of Olympia was excavated, a Frenchmen pierre de Coubertin started to campaign for the revival of the Summer games as an international event. He wanted to spread the spirit of Olympic all over the world. i. e. the spirit of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity in 1894. This Views were accepted and the modern Olympics were he goal of the Olympic marked the birth of Olympic Movement and the IOC. The goal of the Olympic Movement is ‘to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating the youth through sports practised in accordance with Olympism and its Values’.
Here, we will trace the history of the Olympics and read about their ideals, objectives and values. We wall also learn about the IOC and the important Indian sports organisation and awards
ANCIENT AND
MODERN OLYMPIC
(Summer & Winter)
Ancient Olympics
The ancient Olympic Games began about 3,000 years ago in Greece The recorded history of the ancient Olympic fest al spans from 776 BC to 393 AD. They were dedicated to the Greek God Zeus and were based on the philosophy of balance between physical and spiritual development. They were held every four years and continued for nearly 12 centuries. Finally, by the decree of the Emperor Theodosius, the Games were abolished in 393 AD.
The Site of Olympics
The ancient Olympics were held on the plains of Olympia - located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, the southern peninsula of mainland Greece. The site takes its name from the Mount Olympus (the mythic home of God Zeus) It also had a stadium which could accommodate thousands of spectators. Later, training and accommodation areas were also built.
Myths behind the Origin of the Ancient Olympic Games
According to the earliest myths regarding the origin of the games, the Dactyl Herakles and his four brothers—Peonies, Epicenes, Lasius and Ides, raced at Olvmpia to entertam the new-born Zeus. He crowned the victor with a wreath made of an olive tree branch. The other Olympian Gods, who lived permanently on Mount Olympics, would also engage in wrestling, jumping and running contests.
According to another myth, the games were founded by Zeus in the memory ot his battle against Kronos.
The Opening Ceremony
The ancient Olympic Games began with religious sacrifices and choir singing. Young men from all cities and states participated in the choir competitions. Most of the spectators were men. Married women were not allowed to watch the Olympic Games. Each athlete went to the sanctuary of Zeus and sacrificed animals before the idols of Zeus and Pelops. Tracks were then laid out to hold athletic contests. At the temple of Hera, an eternal flame was lit, that kept burning throughout the celebrations.
Games and Athletes
The rules for participating in the games were as follows:
1. The athlete had to be of Greek origin.
2. Non-Greeks, slaves, murderers and those who had not respected the peace were excluded from participating.
3. Women were forbidden from participating in the games.
Once all the men had arrived in Elis for the Olympic Games, they spent a month practising and training together. They were given only fresh cheese and water as their meals. They had to follow strict rules. Judges watched the Participants and picked out only the best ones to actually run in the races.
The various competitions that were held are as follows:
(i) Running
(ii) Wrestling
(iii) Boxing
(iv) Pankration: A primitive form of martial art
(v) Equestrian competitions: Chariot or horse races
(vi) The pentathion: Comprising running, long jump, discus throw, javelin throw and wrestling.
The ancient Olympic Games were held initially for one day Gradually, the number of events increased and the Games were extended to five days.
Awards
In the ancient Olympics, only the winner was recognised The award ceremony was held at the temple of Zeus The name of the Olympic winner his father’s name and his homeland were announced Then, the judge placed the sacred olive branch wreath on the winner's head He also gave the winner a palm leaf A red woollen ribbon was ted on the upper arm and around the head of the athlete as a sign of Victory.
The winner was welcomed back in his home town like a hero He entered the city in a procession riding a four-horse chariot He also received additional benefits such as exemption from taxes and invitations to join the political parties.
The real prize tor the athlete was respect, glory, fame and historical immortality. The respect was conferred through the erection of his statue.
Degeneration of the Ancient Olympics
The Romans imposed direct rule on Greece in 146 BC. This was the beginning of the Raman period and the end of the Olympic Games. In AD 393, Theodosius I, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, banned the Olympic Games. The temple of Zeus was demolished in AD 426 by Theodosius II. Over the years, storms deposited racks and dirt and then, two massive earthquakes left the site in ruins and could no longer be inhabited.
The site was rediscovered by an Englishman, Richard Chandler in 1766. It was further excavated by the Germans in 1875 and the ruins of Olympia were rediscovered. Later, these discoveries inspired Pierre de Coubertin, who started the modern Olympic Games.
Modern Olympics
The discovery of the ancient athletic site at Olympia in the 19th century and the knowledge gathered from various books related to the inspiring history of the ancient games influenced many people. However, the credit of reviving the ancient Olympic Games goes to the Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin .
Coubertin had refused to pursue career in literature and instead, had chosen to work in the field of sociology and education. He believed that intelligence cannot exist without training the body. He was a great admirer and propagator of sports in schools Due to his efforts the first inter-school athletic games were held in Paris in 1889. This was his first step in the direction of revival of the Olympics on an international sale.
Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games. He decided to start the modern Olympic Games For this purpose he founded the International Olympic Committee (TOU) in 1894 in Pans The new committee set the objectives of the first Olympic Games of modem times.
The first Games, held in 1896, marked the beginning of an extraordinary adventure that has now lasted for more than a century The funds for these games were provided by George Averoff of Greece. In these Olympic games, 241 participants from 14 nations competed in 48 events which included events of track-and-field, swimming, gymnastics , cycling, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, shooting and tennis The games lasted from 6th to 15th April, 1896. The second Olympics were held in Paris in 1900 and the third in St Louis, USA in 1904.
Rules for the Competitors in Modern Olympics
The most important rules for the participants of the modem Olympic Games are as follows:
1 A competitor must be an amateur and conform with the eligiblity rules. He must be a member of the Olympic organisation in his country.
2. There 5 no age limit for the competitors.
3 Women also participate in all types of sports.
4 The maximum number of entries from each nation in each event is fixed the International Olympic Committee in consultation with the respective International Federation.
5 Fitness are revived from the National Federations by the National ( Committee which forwards them to the Organising Committee of the Games.
6. A fulltime professional athlete without forfeiting his amateur status, is eligible to participate in the Olympics.
7. The use of drags of artificial stimulants of any kind is condemned and any person offering ot accepting dope in any form) cannot participate in the Olympic Games.
8. No competitor in the Olympic Games are allowed to advertise his her pictures OF Spots performance during the Olympic Games.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Modern Olympics
The Olympics Games begin and end with grand celebrations. Various rituals which reflects the ideals of Olympism are organised. They include the following elements:
1. Entry of the Head of the State: The head of state of the host country is received at the entrance of the stadium by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This is customary at the beginning of the opening ceremony.
2. Playing the National Anthem: The national anthem of the host country is placed or sung as the host nation’s flag is hosted.
3. March of the athletes: The march of the participants reflects both the changing world and the growth of the Olympic Movement The delegations parade 1s always led by Greece (since it was the first nation to hold both modern and ancient versions of the Olympic) and followed by the other Participating countries in alphabetical order according to the native language of the host country In other words, the names at the participating countries are translated according to the native language of the hast country and then parade order 1s decided alphabetically. The host country marches the last Delegations are treated equally No single country receives greater attention than the other . Each delegation is preceded by a board bearing its country's name and is accompanied by it's flag.
4. The Symbolic Release of Doves: As doves are the symbols of peace, the opening ceremony protocol calls for the release of these binds. However the use of real birds has been replaced by a symbolic release of doves since the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1986
5. The Head of State declares the games open First: the President of the Organising Committee gives a brief speech, and then the President of the IOC gives a speech and invites the Head of State to proclaim the games open.
6. Raising the Olympic Mag and playing the Olympic Anthem: The Olympic flag is unfurled and the Olympic anthem is played. The Olympic flag must be raised for the entre duration of the Games The competitors and coaches also take the Olympic oath.
7. The Olympic Flame and Torch Relay: The flame is carried from Olympia tb a relay all the wave to its final destination, i.e. the Olympic stadium in the host city The final torchbearer runs a lap of the stadium before the flame is used to light the Olympic cauldron which remains lit for the entire duration of the Games and is extinguished only at the closing ceremony of the Games.
8. The artistic programme: The organisers of the Olympic Games find creative waves to combine the Olympic protocol with the right amount of entertainment, cultural references, technological innovations and festive atmosphere.
9. The Closing Ceremony: The participants march inside the stadium. The President of the IOC pronounces the Games closed and the flame is extinguished. The Olympic flag is lowered from the flagpole, folded and handed over to the mayor of the city. A salute of five guns is fired and then, a choir sings the Olympic song.
Awards
An Olympic medal is awarded to successful participants. There are three classes of medals:
Gold Medal - Awarded to the winner
Silver Medal - Awarded to the Ist runner-up.
Bronze Medal - Awarded to the 2nd runner-up.
Winter Olympics
Winter Olympics includes sports that are practised and played on snow and ice, These are held separately due to their geographical and climatic requirements, five first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France in 1924. It started with Sports namely, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, nordic skiing and skating.
Winter Olympics games were held regularly at an interval of four years, until 1936, after which they were disrupted by World War II. The Olympics could resume only in 1948 Until 1992, Summer and Winter Olympics were held i the same year But in 1986, the International Olympic Committee decided to hom Summer and Winter Olympics separately in every alternating even numbered year. Hence, after the 1992 Winter Olympics, these games were held again in 1994.
The IOC has selected South Korea to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Beijing, China to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In the last Winter Olympics, which were held in Sochi, Russia in the year 2014, the following games were played:
1. Alpine skiing
2. Figure skating
3. Short track speed skating
4. Biathlon
5. Freestyle skiing
6. Skeleton
7. Bobsleigh
8. Ice Hockey
9. Ski jumping
10. Cross country skiing
11. Luge
12. Snowboard
13. Curling
14. Nordic combined
15. Speed skating
Twelve countries—Austria, Canada, France, Great Britain, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and United States are the only countries who participate regularly in each Winter Olympic games. Norway holds the maximum number of gold medals in Winter Olympics.
Summer Olympics
Since the year 1924, the Olympic tournament was divided into two segments
(a) Summer Olympics also known as the Olympic Games or the Olympiad, and
(b) Winter Olympics - As mentioned earlier, both games were held in the same year till 1992. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided that the Olympics and Winter Olympics would be conducted alternately, at an interval of 2 years.
The Olympics is held during the summer season and hence, also known as Summer Olympics. Over the years, the number of countries participating in these games have increased considerably. 207 countries participated in 2016 Rio Olympics, in comparison to only 14 countries in 1896 games.
The next Olympic Games are schedule to be held in Tokyo, Japan in the year of 2020. The Olympic Games include events like archery, athlete, badminton , basketball, boxing, football, golf, shooting, Table tennis , gymnastics, handball , hockey, judo, Swimming, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling etc.
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