Why Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June & when did it start?

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Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June to honour the birth of the modern Olympics. Learn why it started and also explore India's Olympic history and medal tally to date. read more
Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June across the world to mark the revival of the games. Image: Reuters
The Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June to mark the birth of the modern Olympic Games. It is a day to celebrate sports, fitness, and the spirit of peace and unity. It is also a day to remember the revival of the Olympics, which was interrupted by World War II in 1940 and 1944.
When and why did Olympic Day start?
Olympic Day was first celebrated on 23 June 1948, exactly 54 years after the modern Olympics were founded. It was started by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote the values of the games, like friendship, peace, and respect among countries and people.
The reason why 23 June was chosen is that it was on this day in 1894 that the IOC was founded and the modern Olympic Games were started in Paris by Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator and historian. This moment laid the foundation of the Olympic Movement and the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896.
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After the restart of the Olympics in 1948, Olympic Day was announced and it has since become a huge thing. Many countries organise events like runs and fitness challenges on this day to spread the Olympic spirit and promote a healthy lifestyle. The Ministry of Sports in India conducted an Olympic Day Run on Sunday, 22 June under the IOC's global campaign 'Let's Move.'
India's Olympic record
India has had a long journey at the Olympics, but very few medals to show. Despite being one of the biggest countries in the world in terms of population, India have won just 37 medals to date, most of which came in hockey in the early and mid-20th century.
India first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900, when Norman Pritchard won two silver medals in athletics. Since then, India has been a regular part of the Summer Olympics, but has only won two more medals in the discipline, both coming in the last two editions, thanks to once-in-a-generation talent Neeraj Chopra.
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Total Olympic medals for India till 2024
Gold: 10
Silver: 10
Bronze: 17
India's first gold medal came in 1928 in men's field hockey at the Amsterdam Olympics. The men's hockey team won 8 gold medals between 1928 and 1980, making India a powerhouse in the sport. However, those days are now over, and India barely manages to qualify, with just two bronze medals coming in the last 44 years.
However, India has performed well in other sports in recent years, especially badminton, boxing, wrestling, shooting, and athletics. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra made history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in athletics (javelin throw). India's best-ever Olympic performance came in Tokyo, where the country won 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze).
The next Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. India will look to better its record from 2020.