XXVIII Athens Olympic Games - 2004. (2004-12)

OLYMPIC GAMES

The Games have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles.
The upeoming Games will feature athletes from all over the world and help promote the Olympic spirit.

ATHENS 2004

Greece was the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. In 2004, the Olympic Games will return to their origins when Athens hosts the Games of the XXVI I I Olympiad.

OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES

° Athens 1896	° Amsterdam 1928	° Munich 1972
° Paris 1900	° Berlin 1936	° Montreal 1976
° St. Louis 1904	° London 1948	° Moscow 1980
° London 1908	° Helsinki 1952	° Los Angeles 1984
° Stockholm 1912	° Melbourne 1956	° Seoul I988
° Antwerp 1920	° Rome 1960	° Barcelona 1992
° Paris 1924	° Tokyo 1964	° Atlanta 1996
° Amsterdam 1928	° Mexico City 1968	° Sydney 2000

OLYMPIC MOVEMENT

The Olympic Movement encompasses organizations, athletes and other persons who consent to be guided by the Olympic Charter and the Olympic ideal.

The Olympic Movement groups together all those who agree to be guided by the Olympic charter and the Olympic ideal and who recognize the authority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), namely: the International Federations (IF) of sports on the programme of the Olympic Games; the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the organizing Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs), athletes, judges and referees, associations and clubs, as well as the organizations and institutions recognized by the IOC.

BIRTH OF THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT

The Olympic movement was born during a congress called by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris, in June 1894. On June 23rd 1894, at the sorbonne the renovation of the Olympic games was decided and the International Olympic Committee was founded. The first Olympic games of the modern era opened in Athens on March 25th 1896, according to the Julian Calendar (April 6th according to the Gregorian Calendar).

Olympism is a state of mind based on equality of sports which are international and democratic.
It is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind.

The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sports practised without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The Olympic Movement is defined also by the numerous activities in which it engages, such as:

Promoting sport and competitions through the intermediary of national and internationals sports institutions world-wide.

Cooperation with public and private organizations to place sport at the service of mankind.

Assistance to develop "Sport for All"

Advancement of women in sport at all levels and in all structures, with a view to achieving equality between men and women.

Opposition to all forms of commercial exploitation of sport and athletes.

The fight against doping.

Promoting sports ethics and fair play.

Raising awareness of environmental problems.

Financial and educational support for developing countries through the IOC institution Olympic Solidarity.

"All sports for all people. This is surely a phrase that people will consider foolishly utopian. That prospect troubles me not all. 1 have pondered and studied it at length, and know that it is correct and possible", wrote Pierre de Coubertin in 1919. The future proved him right.

Courtesy: International Olympic Committee.

Pakistan issued its first Olympic stamps in 1969, to honour its field hockey team which won a gold medal in the 1968 Mexico Games; again in 1984 for the Los Angeles Games; in 1988 for the Seoul Games; in 1991 in special Olympic Games; in 1996 in Atlanta Olympic Games & finally in 2000 Sydney Olympics. A stamp to commemorate a century of Olympic Games, depicting Pierre de Coubertin and the Athens Stadium was also issued on 3-8-1996. Date of Issue (August 13, 2004)