World Athletics Day was first introduced by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in the year 1996. It is now, known as, the World Athletics-the International governing body for athletics.
The federation organizes various contests, events, tournaments, etc in schools and colleges, but it stopped in 2020 owing to the pandemic.
SIGNIFICANCE:
A key goal of the world athletics has been to promote sports in all parts of the world. They believe that schools and colleges are the best ways to start as it shapes children to go into sports from a young age. The day allows schools, colleges, and other institutions to encourage and promote their students’ interests in various fields and boost their strength and stamina.
The Federation believes that athletics is the main sport that develops children’s physical health and should be, therefore, encouraged from a young age. They emphasize the idea that every school should have athletics in its curriculum.
Through this event, people are encouraged to take up sports regardless of their gender, ability, or background. This creates inclusion and helps young people to come together without any social barriers.
Several people who participate in the events of World Athletics Day go on to become successful athletes and represent the sport on national or international grounds. This creates a love for their sport that stays with their lifetime.
CELEBRATION:
World Athletic Day event is celebrated in various ways all over the world. Here are some of the ways that this day is observed:
• Athletic Competitions: The main importance of this day is athletic competition. On this day, various competitions take place such as running races, jumping, etc. Clubs, schools, colleges. Institutions etc. take an active part in these competitions.
• Awareness Campaigns: Awareness Campaigns are also organized as a part of the celebration on this day. Awareness is created among the people about the importance of sports and physical health with the use of posters, and various marketing strategies.
• Fun Runs: Fun runs are a part of the World Athletics Day event. These are organized in order to make young people join in these runs in a relaxed and happy way. It can be organized in parks or any open space. The distance o be covered is, however, different for all age groups.
• Inclusive Activities: Inclusive activities are an important part of the Athletics Day celebration. These activities are organized to ensure that people from all walks of life, regardless of their backgrounds and abilities, come together and participate. These include various modified activities that are accessible to everyone.
OBJECTIVES:
The World Athletics Day is celebrated in view of some objectives. Here are some of these objectives:
• Popularizing sports and athletics among the youth: The federation believes that sports are a vital part of our life and it needs to be popularized as much as possible. Therefore, schools are colleges are very important as it needs to be developed in children from a young age.
It is important to encourage the youth to participate in any sport that they enjoy. Several athletes have gained much recognition and success by following the sport they enjoy.
• Increasing public awareness: Many people still do not have much awareness about sports and related fields. It is necessary for people to know about it and understand how important sports are in our life.
Therefore, this day is also observed to create awareness among people regarding the importance of sports and physical health.
• To establish a link between the youth, sport, and environmental conservation: To create awareness about athletics, it is necessary that the youth are also made exposed to various sports and are encouraged to participate in large numbers. A sense of awareness is also made about the environment and its conservation. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the youth is aware of their environment and take steps to conserve it.
VALUE OF MENTAL HEALTH ON WORLD ATHLETICS DAY:
Mental health is as important as physical health. There are many emotions that a person feels namely, stress, joy, anxiety, dissatisfaction, etc. A mentally healthy person can face the challenges of everyday life with balance and seeks help when necessary. To maintain good mental health, it is necessary to take good care of your body, get enough sleep, eat a properly balanced diet, and exercise regularly.
WORLD ATHLETICS DAY FOR KIDS 2023:
The day is celebrated to encourage the youth to participate in more physical activities and sports. However, there are also many kids who do not get access to this day, owing to various reasons. Therefore, World Athletics has released a new “Kids’ Athletics Day at home” toolkit for children around the world who wish to take part in Kids’
Athletics Day 2023. This toolkit is designed for children who may not have access to an organized Kids’ Athletics Day activity.
It includes all the basics including:
• Activity cards with steps to stage an obstacle course, air bowling, and flying saucers.
• A “Design your own spikes” template to make their dream spike and,
• An activity pyramid with different running, jumping, and balancing activities.
Here are a few athletes who will surely make you inspired by their stories of struggle in their sports and finally achieving the success that they deserve.
• HIMA DAS: Hima Das is a sprinter from Assam, India. She has been into sports since an early age and played football and wanted to pursue a career in the same. However,
she could not see much scope for herself in women’s football in India.
She competed in the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018, in the 400 meters and 4×400 meters relay. At the Asian Games in 2018, she cleared for the 400m final. Later on 30 August 2018, she won the women’s 4 × 400 meters relay.
EKTA BHYAN: Ekta Bhyan is an Indian para-athlete who represented the nation in the women’s club and discus throw. She represented India in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and won a gold medal in the club throw. She qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020. She also received the National Award for Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities in the year 2018.
In the year 2003, Ekta Bhyan met with an accident damaging her spinal cord. In 2015, she started playing and worked on her fitness. She went through two surgeries and a lot of hard work for her rehabilitation, which helped her to get back her confidence.
PRAVIN JADAV: Pravin Jadav is an Indian archer who won Silver at the 2019 World Championship Men’s Team.
Pravin Jadav faced severe malnourishment in the initial years. He even fainted many times during his training days. He started his journey in archery with bamboo scrapes to use as a bow and arrow and soon after entered into the services of the Army. He faced extreme poverty in his initial days, but after joining the Army services, he could afford his own equipment.
FAQs
1. When is World Athletics Day celebrated?
Every year 7 May is celebrated as World Athletics Day.
2. What is the theme of the Day?
World Athletics Day is celebrated to prioritize sports and physical health and fitness to lead a healthy and disease-free life.
3. Who started World Athletics Day?
World Athletics Day was first started by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in the year 1996.
Also Read: Asian Athletics Championship में अलीगढ़ के अमित चौधरी ने कुवैत में फहराया तिरंगा, जीता स्वर्ण पदक!
