Mosah Mokganedi
23 July 2007
This year's Olympic Day run will be commemorated in Gantsi on September 8, it has been announced. The objective of the day is to celebrate the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). According to Andrew Kamanga, of the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), IOC gives Olympic committees the period between June 23 and September 30 to celebrate the event.
Kamanga said BNOC has adopted a rotational system to host the event. As a result, last year's event was held in Molepolole. The BNOC boss stated that they are also embarking on preaching the gospel of the Olympics to Batswana. He explained that Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind; blending sport with culture and education.
The Olympic movement seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. He explained that the aim of the Olympic movement is to promote the development of physical and moral qualities that are the basis of sport as well as to bring together athletes of the world in the great four-yearly sports festival-the Olympic Games.
The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of a man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
Some of the activities of the day will include HIV/AIDS, as the issue is one of the major focuses of the Olympic movement. The guest speaker will be the former president and the patron of BNOC, Sir Ketumile Masire. Two Gantsi members of Parliament (MPs), Christian De Graaff and Johnnie Swartz are expected to grace the occasion.
The celebrations are in line with Vision 2016 pillar of a 'Proud and united nation' through sport. The commemoration of the day started in 1985.
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