New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): Hockey India and its member units celebrated the 77th Olympic Day by hosting various sporting events and activities across the country. The events included friendly tournaments, exhibition matches, fitness and training sessions, poster-making and quiz competitions, as well as plantation drives to promote the Olympic values of sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Through these activities, Hockey India aims to bring together people from diverse backgrounds and provide a platform to highlight the significance of fitness and sports--encouraging individuals to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, regardless of age, gender, background, or community, as per a press release from Hockey India.

Several member units, including Assam Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Mizoram, Chhattisgarh Hockey, and Hockey Jharkhand organised exhibition matches, while Goans Hockey and the Hockey Association of Odisha held hockey tournaments.

Assam Hockey, the Hockey Association of Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Hockey also hosted poster-making and essay-writing competitions, while Hockey Mizoram organised a tree plantation drive. Odisha's Naval Tata Hockey Academy hosted a special lunch with Olympians and conducted quiz competitions as part of the Olympic Day celebrations.

Olympic Day is celebrated annually on June 23, commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games, which began on June 23, 1894, in Paris. The primary objective of Olympic Day is to encourage global participation in sports, regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. Since 2023, Olympic Day celebrations have aligned with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Let's Move initiative, which aims to promote physical activity and encourage people to move more every day.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin formed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first-ever modern Games held in Athens in 1896.

Speaking about the significance of Olympic Day and the positive message it spreads, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said, 'Every year on 23 June, our member units come together to show their remarkable dedication to the global Olympic movement and their love for hockey. Through these wide-ranging activities, they not only promote fitness and unity but also reflect the true spirit of Olympic Day, which champions inclusivity across all ages, genders, and abilities.' (ANI)