ITANAGAR, 23 Jun: The Arunachal Olympic Association (AOA), in collaboration with the sports directorate, celebrated the 75th International Olympic Day on Friday.
The day is celebrated to commemorate the day when the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894, aiming to promote participation in sports across the globe, regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability.
The day is celebrated on 23 June every year by holding competitions and demonstrations in various sports all over the world.
A 6-km-long Olympic Day run, themed ‘Let’s move’, was organised from KV No 2 in Chimpu to the DK Convention Hall here. Around 500 people participated in it.
Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Mama Natung, who along with Education Minister Taba Tedir flagged of the run at 5:15 am, said that sports always bring people together and foster friendships.
“In these difficult times we are living through, with conflict and division on the rise, we need this unifying power of sports more than ever before,” Natung said.
“This Olympic spirit guides us as we strive to go faster, aim higher, become stronger by standing together for a peaceful world,” he said.
Tedir, who is also the AOA president, said: “The Olympic Day, when we celebrate the establishment of the Olympic movement, is the perfect moment to remind ourselves of this peace mission.”
“The purpose of the Olympic movement was always to promote peace through sports,” said AOA secretary-general Bamang Tago.
Later, a friendly football match was played between Minister Sports XI and AOA XI at the Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy football ground.
