India: Hockey India celebrates Olympic Day 2023 by uniting hockey community through exciting activities

New Delhi, 23rd June 2023: Hockey India celebrated this year’s Olympic Day with a series of activities aimed at promoting the values of sportsmanship. Over the past few weeks, Hockey India Members Units organized various events with the objective of strengthening the connection between individuals of all ages and sports. These activities served as a platform to bring people from diverse backgrounds together, transcending gender and physical barriers, and providing them with the opportunity to engage in their first sports experiences.

The celebrations across different member units featured an array of exciting events. Friendly tournaments, exhibit matches, and Olympic Day runs were among the highlights of the festivities.

Also, in line with this year’s Olympic Day celebrations’ theme ‘Let’s Move’, Hockey India’s Member Units organized a range of activities to showcase the power of physical activity, centered around the sport. Embracing the Olympic Day theme, the activities included exhibition hockey matches, mini hockey tournaments, kayaking, roller skating, engaging quizzes, creative drawing competitions, and thought-provoking essay writing competitions, all focused on Olympic Day and its values.

Furthermore, the celebrations also aimed to encourage individuals from all walks of life to embrace movement and prioritize an active lifestyle. By emphasizing the importance of physical well-being, the member units sought to inspire a sense of responsibility and remind the impact that sports and physical exercise can have on our overall well-being, both physically and mentally.

These initiatives on Olympic Day served as a platform to inspire people to take a step forward, to engage in various sports and recreational activities, and experience the joy and benefits that come with moving our bodies.

First introduced in 1948, Olympic Day holds a special place in commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games, which took place on June 23, 1894, at the Sorbonne in Paris. The primary objective of this significant day is to encourage global participation in sports, regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. As the 75th Olympic Day approached, Hockey India actively endorsed the International Olympic Committee’s campaign and embraced the theme of #LetsMove.

The hockey community across the country united in celebrating this momentous occasion, expressing their joy through an outpouring of pictures and videos, which were shared on Hockey India’s social media handles. On Friday, various Member Units organised a multitude of engaging activities as part of the festivities, promoting the Olympic spirit and celebrating the power of sports. Le Puducherry Hockey organised various activities like drawing and quiz competitions, and a hockey tournament, while Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Ranchi organised friendly hockey matches to promote the game.

Also, several Member Units like Hockey Haryana, Assam Hockey, Goans Hockey, Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Bihar, Hockey Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Arunachal, and Hockey Mizoram organised men and women’s exhibition matches.

Meanwhile, Hockey Bengal organised a run as well as hockey matches which even saw the participation of Police personnel. Hockey Rajasthan conducted an Olympic Day awareness run, tree plantation and even kayaking. They also celebrated International Yoga Day with great enthusiasm under the Olympic Day program as hockey players across age groups practiced Surya Namaskar and Pranayama in different districts of Rajasthan. Moreover, to celebrate Olympic Day a special training session was organised by Hockey Kolkata during which lessons were given on different aspects of taking and stopping penalties.

Speaking on the occasion, Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “Our Member Units demonstrated a resounding commitment to embracing sports as a way of life through a diverse range of activities, fostering inclusivity across age groups, gender, and athletic abilities. By bringing people together and promoting the numerous benefits of sports engagement, they exemplified the true spirit of Olympic Day.”

“This celebration serves as a powerful platform to strengthen the existing connection that children and young adults have with sports, while also providing a gateway for individuals to experience the rich sporting culture first-hand. The Olympic Day Celebration aims to champion fitness, well-being, culture, and education, all while upholding the values of excellence, friendship, and respect,” he added.

Hockey India Member Units that organised Olympic Day events on Friday, 23rd June 2023: