International Day of Sport

Celebrate International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace promotes healthy lifestyles and emphasizes the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) focus on giving as many people as possible access to sport. It is the day when some of the world’s leading sportspeople work together with communities to bring sporting opportunities to enrich lives, particularly children.

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is a global observance and not a public holiday.

About International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

The IOC and the UN have a long-standing commitment to using sport as a tool for social change and have worked together on many projects over the years. Both organizations have used sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, to bridge cultural understanding and improve education, health, economic and social development.

On August 23, 2013, the UN proclaimed that the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace would be celebrated on April 6 each year. This date also marks the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.

SPORT AS A UNIVERSAL TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT

In 2015, in a historic moment for the sport and the Olympic Movement, the sport was officially recognised as an “important enabler” of sustainable development and included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the IDSDP provides a notable platform to advocate more investment in sport, related infrastructure and quality physical education for youth among governments.

This Day offers a new opportunity to promote sport and physical activity as a cost-effective and meaningful tool to address a wide range of needs related to education, health, social inclusion, youth development, gender equality, peace-building and sustainable development.

Using sport to promote development and peace has been at the core of the IOC’s mission since its creation in 1894. Pierre de Coubertin, the IOC’s founder, was explicit in his desire to use Olympism as a means to promote harmony among individuals and nations, at all levels from casual practice to competitive sport.

It is also an opportunity to showcase all ways that the IOC, National Olympic Committees, International and National Sports Federations, sports clubs, governmental and non-governmental organisations, neighbourhood associations and all other entities and volunteers use sport for the betterment of humanity.

The annual IDSDP is also a fitting complement to the celebration of Olympic Day, which, introduced by the IOC in 1948, commemorates the founding of the modern Olympic Movement, each year on 23 June. Millions of people in countries around the world participate in a wide variety of activities, from sport to educational and cultural activities.

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