The Indian women’s team won a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 after beating Thailand 3-2 in the final in Shah Alam, Malaysia on February 18.
This was India’s maiden title in the history of the continental competition. The men’s Indian badminton team had previously won two medals in 2016 and 2020, but both were bronze. The winning team comprised PV Sindhu, Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly, and teenager Anmol Kharb.
International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women in politics, science, sports, and economics etc.
The origins of International Women’s Day can be traced back to 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the US on February 28, 1909.
Clara Zetkin, communist activist and advocate for women’s rights, was the first to suggest the idea that this day should be made inter- national. She suggested this in 1910 at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. There were 100 women there, from 17 countries, and they agreed to her suggestion unanimously. Pursuant to the decision taken at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women’s Day was first celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19.
The UN commemorated the first International Women’s Day on March 8, 1975. In 1977, the UN General Assembly declared March 8 as Inter- national Women’s Day in support of women’s rights and global peace.
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Do you know why International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th? On February 23, 1917, women in St. Petersburg, Russia, staged a strike to protest against food shortages, poor living conditions, and World War I. This strike for “Bread and Peace” helped give rise to the Russian Revolution of 1917, which led to the abdication of Nicholas II. In 1921, the date of the International Women’s Day was officially changed to March 8. The date when the women’s strike commenced on the Julian calendar, which was then in use in Russia, was February 23. This day in the Gregorian calendar was March 8- and that’s when it’s celebrated today.
Did You Know?
International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19. It has only been marked since the 1990s and isn’t recognised by the UN. People celebrate it in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the UK.
Olympic Day is celebrated all around the world on June 23, every year. Thousands of people get together to participate in cultural and sporting activities, such as runs, musical performances, and exhibitions.
The first known Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C in the summer at Olympia, in southern Greece. The games were created to honour Ancient Greek god Zeus. Athletes prayed to Zeus for victory and left gifts to thank him for their victories.
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When Rome conquered Greece, they banned the Olympics in 393 A.D. After over 1,500 years the modern version of the Olympic Games was revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece, by Baron Pierre de Coubertin and has been celebrated every four years since then. In 1924, Winter Olympics were added to incorporate winter sports such as cross-country skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, figure skating. and ski jumping.
Who Is Baron Pierre De Coubertin?
Baron Pierre de Coubertin is considered the founder of the modern Olympic Games. Born in Paris, France, he was a keen sportsman himself, who enjoyed boxing, fencing, horse-riding, and rowing. He believed that sports were an important part of developing the mental energy of a person.
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In 1894, Pierre founded the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) to help build a better world by educating young people about the importance of sports. He is responsible for the creation of the five-ring Olympic symbol in 1913, the Olympic Charter, and the protocol of the games, including the opening and closing ceremonies. He believed, “The important thing in life is not the triumph but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well”.
He was the IOC President between 1896 and 1925.
The First Olympic Day
During the 41st Session of the IOC in 1947, Dr. Gruss, a member from Czechoslovakia, presented a report on the concept of World Olympic Day. This day would be dedicated to promoting the Olympic values and ideals. The idea was officially adopted at the 42nd IOC Session in St Moritz, Switzerland in January 1948.
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The first-ever Olympic Day was celebrated on June 23, 1948. Since then, Olympic Day has been celebrated annually to encourage participation in sports, promote the Olympic movement, and spread the spirit worldwide. It serves as an opportunity to engage individuals of all ages and backgrounds in sports activities, promoting the values of friendship, fair play, and peace.
Some Interesting Facts About The Olympics
The first Olympic Games had just 14 participating countries, and now over 200 countries participate in the Olympics.
The Olympic symbol was designed to include everyone. The five different coloured rings and the white background are the colours found on the flags of all participating countries.
Hot-air ballooning, tug of war, and motorboat sailing used to be Olympic sports but eventually got voted out and games like rugby and golf got voted in.
From 1921 to 1948, artists, writers, and musicians also took part in the Olympics. They competed for medals by creating their works of art based on the sporting successes of the games.
Fencing, football, judo, archery, sailing, handball, trampoline, and water polo are some of the sports included in the Olympic Games.
Before every edition of the Olympic Games, a flame is kindled by rays of the sun during a ceremony held in the ancient ruins of Olympia, Greece under the authority of the International Olympic Committee. This flame is known as the Olympic Flame. The Olympic Flame is usually lit at Olympia a few months before the opening of the Olympic Games. Starting the ceremony at Olympia celebrates the link between the Ancient Olympic Games and the Modern Olympic Games.
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From Olympia, the flame is usually carried for a number of weeks until it reaches the host city, mainly on foot by runners, but also using other forms of transport.
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For the Paris Olympics, the ceremonial lighting ceremony is scheduled on April 16 in Olympia, Greece. Over 11 days, 600 torchbearers in Greece will carry the flame 500 km across 41 municipalities.
The torch is passed from one torchbearer to the next until it reaches the cauldron at the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. The flame announces the Olympic Games and spreads a message of peace of peace and friendship between the people. The Torch relay ends at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Olympia was where the Ancient Olympic Games were held.
For the Paris Olympics, the flame will travel from Greece to France by boat. The Olympic flame arriving in the host country symbolises the advent of the spirit of the Games. Before lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony, the flame is carried by a multitude of torchbearers throughout the host country and into the host city.
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For the Paris Olympics, the flame will arrive in Marseille in France on May 8. The flame will arrive from Athens, Greece, after travelling by sea on board the full-rigged ship Belem.
The flame will then travel across various French territories for 68 days. 10,000 torchbearers will carry the flame across the 64 territories of France until July 26, when the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony is scheduled to take place on the River Seine.
When And Where Did The Tradition Of The Olympic Torch Relay Begin?
The Olympic Flame first became a tradition of the Modern Olympic Games, when an Olympic Flame was lit and remained burning at the entrance to the Olympic stadium throughout the Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games.
However, the Olympic Torch Relay was started for the first time at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games. The torch relay has opened the Olympic ceremonies ever since.
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Let The Games Begin
The Torch relay ends at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The final runner (or sometimes runners) enters the stadium and lights the cauldron with the Olympic Flame. The Games can then begin!
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The Paralympic Flame And Torch Relay
Shortly after the Olympic Flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games, the Flame for the Paralympic Games is lit in Stoke Mandeville (in England). Stoke Mandeville is the historic birthplace of Paralympic sport. For the Paris Paralympic Games, the flame after being lit in Stoke Mandeville will cross the sea like its Olympic twin. However, this time the flame will travel via the Channel Tunnel, marking the start of a legendary relay.
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From August 25 to August 28, 2024, around 1,000 forerunners will carry the Paralympic Flame to around 50 cities throughout France.
Fun Facts
The current Summer and Winter Olympics torches that carry the Olympic Flame and are designed to withstand wind and rain. They are also uniquely designed to include special elements of the host country and spirit of the Games.
When two torches meet and one already-lit torch lights the flame of the other it’s called a “Kiss“.
Sometimes the Olympic torch can go out. Although, it’s really rare that this happens due to a malfunctioning burner or extreme wind. Just in case, there’s always a “mother flame” carried in specially designed miner’s lanterns that they can use to relight the torch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that former prime ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, and scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in India. PV. Narasimha Rao was the Indian prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and is known to be the man who started the economic liberalisation of India. Chaudhary Charan Singh, a well known champion of workers and farmers’ rights, briefly served as the Indian prime minister in 1979. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a renowned scientist, is known as the architect of India’s green revolution.
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Usually, three Bharat Ratna awards are given in a year. However, this year, the government has named five people for Bharat Ratna, including veteran leader LK. Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur. This is the highest number of Bharat Ratna awards given in a single year.
Economic liberalisation means the process of easing the rules and regulations with respect to trade policies by the government of a country. This is done in many ways like by removing trade restrictions and permitting more foreign investment in certain sectors, based on specific conditions.
The Green Revolution introduced new methods and technology for growing, harvesting, and processing crops in India in the 1960s. This led to an increase in agricultural production in India and greatly reduced food shortages.
