23 June 2019 New Delhi, India: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) along with its member units joins millions from around the world to celebrate the joy of sport on the occasion of world Olympic Day.

On this very day, 125 years ago, on the 23rd of June 1894 at the University of Sorbonne in Paris, Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee and revived the Olympic Games.

Marking this special occasion, the International Olympic Committee today officially opened the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. Addressing the ceremony, President Bach, himself an Olympic champion in fencing, said: "By bringing the entire world together in peaceful competition, the Olympic Games are a symbol of hope and peace for all humankind. The ones who embody this message are the Olympic athletes. This is why we have among us today Olympic athletes who represent over 125 Olympic medals. They gave the Olympic Games the magic moments that have defined us for 125 years. Therefore, I say to all my fellow Olympians: welcome home."

In attendance were also Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra, IOC Honorary Member Raja Randhir Singh, President of IOA Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra and Secretary General Rajeev Mehta.


Every year, Olympic Day sees Olympic Committees and Associations, International and National Sports Federations, Organising Committees of Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, National Olympian Associations and Young Ambassador’s around the world organising and participating in a myriad of sports activities to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

This year, thirteen State Olympic Associations in India including Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal, organised various sports activities, competitions, educational seminars and Olympic Day Run as part of their celebration on Olympic Day.

Joining the Olympic day celebrations, Hon’ble Minister of Sports, Mr. Kiren Rijiju urged people to stay active for good health and reminded athletes to stay committed to clean sports.

Secretary General of IOA, Mr. Rajeev Mehta said "Our greetings to all on 125th anniversary of the Olympic movement. The power of Olympism have a lasting positive impact on people's well- being every day. This year, the Indian Olympic Association aims to reach out to more on Olympism, through activation, cultural and educational programmes."

On the eve of Olympic Day, International Olympic Committee also hosted the first edition of Golden Rings Awards, honouring the best in broadcast of Olympic Games.

About the International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

About the Indian Olympic Association


The Indian Olympic Association is the governing body for the Olympic Movement in India. As an affiliated member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), the IOA administers various aspects of sports governance and athletes’ welfare in the country. The Indian Olympic Association is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.