The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) will this year mark World Olympic Day in Basse, Upper River Region.
Olympic Day is a global celebration of sport and physical activity observed annually on June 23 to commemorate the founding of the International Olympic Committee in 1894—marking the birth of the modern Olympic Games.
GNOC will hold its celebration on June 21, 2025, with a series of youth-focused sporting events.
“We will celebrate Olympic Day with 3km and 5km road races for boys and girls from various senior, upper, and lower basic schools starting at 7:00 a.m. We will engage with the local community and institutions for a 3km Walk for Health, and we will spice up the day with a karate demonstration show, showcasing youth talent and discipline,” GNOC stated.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the concept of Olympic Day was first proposed in 1947 at the 41st IOC Session in Stockholm by Dr. Gruss, an IOC member from Czechoslovakia. His proposal for a worldwide Olympic celebration was later adopted during the 42nd Session in St. Moritz in January 1948.
National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were tasked with organising events to commemorate the occasion and asked to select a date between June 17 and 24 to mark the founding of the IOC at the Sorbonne in Paris on June 23, 1894, where Pierre de Coubertin led the revival of the modern Olympic Games.