Last updated on April 5, 2024 IST: World Sports Day 2024 | The United Nations (UN) International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed annually on 6 April, highlighting the power of sport in promoting peace and breaking down cultural barriers around the world. The theme for 2024 is “Sport in the service of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies:The world is facing imminent danger of war and high inflation. There is an urgent need to work as a team to make determined efforts to create a safe, peaceful and sustainable future for all. Let the readers also focus on the sports of human life and learn Sat-Bhakti to attain salvation.
World Sports Day 2024: Highlights
- World Sports Day has been celebrated on April 6 every year since 2013.
- The world celebrates International Day of Sports for Development and Peace on April 6, on the occasion of the opening of the Athens Olympic Games 1896
- The UN and the IOC have a unique commitment: to use sport as a tool for social change
- The theme of World Sports Day 2024 is “Sport for promoting peaceful and inclusive societies”.
About World Sports Day
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2024 is an opportunity to recognise the role that sport plays in building community resilience, in the lives of individuals and in the recovery from the pandemic, through social media and online activities before and during the day. Sport has the potential to go beyond sports and play a leading role in the transition to climate neutrality, and to raise awareness among billions of observers, commentators, journalists, players and sports managers at different levels. Sport can raise awareness in society of the urgent need to address climate issues and reverse their impacts.
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In the era of Covid-19 pandemic The world is facing generational challenges such as poverty and hunger, climate change and health. There is an urgent need to work together to make determined efforts to create a safe, peaceful and sustainable future for all.
Importance of World Sports Day
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace aims to promote healthy lifestyles and advance the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) goal of providing access to sport for as many people as possible. It is an opportunity for some of the world’s greatest athletes to work with communities to provide enriching sporting opportunities, particularly for children.
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is not a public holiday but a global day of celebration. The adoption of this International Day signifies the importance of recognizing that sport can contribute substantially to the achievement of the goals of promoting human rights and social and economic development.
“Sport has the power to unite our passion, energy and enthusiasm around a collective cause. It is precisely at this point that hope can be nurtured and confidence can be restored. It is in our collective interest to harness the tremendous power of sport to help build a better, more sustainable future for all.”
History and context of World Sports Day
The UN and the IOC have a single goal of using sport as a tool for social change and have worked in parallel on many projects over the years. Both institutions have used sporting events such as the Olympic Games to foster cultural understanding and improve health, education, and social and economic development.
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The United Nations recognizes that sport has immense reach, inspires unparalleled admiration and positive spirit, and therefore has the potential to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations goals of development and peace.
To harness this potential, the United Nations General Assembly declared 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). The day marks the start of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Day in 2013 and has celebrated it annually since 2014.
The General Assembly, by its resolution (A/RES/67/296), established this Day:
“invites States, the United Nations system, and in particular the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, relevant international organizations, international, regional and national sports organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as all other relevant stakeholders, to cooperate, observe and publicize the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.”
Theme of World Sports Day 2024
The global theme for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2024 is “Sport in the service of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies”“This overarching theme allows IDSDP activities to focus broadly on the contribution and influence of sport to peace and sustainable development.
The theme provides an opportunity to commemorate the day to highlight the usefulness of sport as an important tool to advance human rights and sustainable development. The UN Headquarters in New York, member countries and many organizations will raise awareness of the role of sport in addressing issues such as the climate crisis, with likely actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Objectives of World Sports Day 2024
- Reaffirming the place of sport in the post-epidemic recovery and beyond
- Fostering solidarity, equity, community and team spirit in response to the epidemic
- Encouraging healthy habits through physical activity and strengthening emotional well-being and generating hope through sports analogies
“In our fragile world, where divisions, conflicts and mistrust are on the rise, we show the world that it is possible to be fierce rivals and yet live together in peace and respect. Let us give peace a chance.” IOC President Thomas Bach.
Quotes for World Sports Day 2024
- A pious soul must respect the Constitution of God Kabir, just as a player respects the rules of the game while playing it.
- “Champions keep playing until they make it.” – Billie Jean King
- “The only person who can stop you from achieving your goals is yourself.” – Jackie Joyner-Kersee
- “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” – Les Brown
- “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often an illusion.” – Michael Jordan
- “Never give up, never yield, and when we have the upper hand, may we have the ability to handle victory with the dignity with which we have absorbed defeat.” – Doug Williams
How to practice the sports of human life?
Human life is very precious. Salvation can only be achieved in a human bodyPractice the sports of human life in such a way that in addition to attaining worldly pleasures, salvation is definitely attained.
This is possible by taking shelter of an enlightened Saint. At present, Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj is the only complete Guru and a true Saint. To know the in-depth information, download Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj app.
FAQ about World Sports Day
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace recognizes the positive role that sport and physical activity play in the lives of people around the world.
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed on 6 April to commemorate the first modern Olympic Games which began on 6 April 1896.
It was first celebrated in 2013. Creating a historical link with the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, April 6 was declared the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2013.
The United Nations or UN has established April 6 as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace or International Day of Sport.
