Seoul Olympics. September 17 - October 2, 1988. (1988-6)

Olympic Games are commonly believed to have been first celebrated in 776 BC at Olympia in Greece. Thereafter, Olympic have been a regular 4 yearly event till above 393 AD After their revival through the efforts of the French scholar and educator Pierre de Coubertin, the games of the first Olympiad of the modern cycle were held in Athens in 1896.
Subsequent games were held at four years intervals in different cities of the world. At first, the Olympic programme was confined to one day and consisted only of a single event--a race, the length of the stadium.

Afterwards, additional races and other events were added and the duration was also extended. Olympic Games are now held for 16 days. The 24th Seoul Olympics include the following games.

ARCHERY: Even after the bow and arrow were displaced as weapons of war in the 15th century, this ancient skill has survived as a sport. Competitors will vie for 4 gold medals.

ATHLETICS: Athletics is among the oldest form of organized sport and the most truly inter-national in practice. There are 42 events in which the athletes will go for the gold in the Seoul Olympic Stadium.

BASEBALL: It will be the eighth time for baseball, the so called national sport of the United States, to be included as a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games.

BASKETBALL: When James A. Naismith posted his 13 rules of basketball on the wall of YMCA Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts, in December 1891, he could not have known how popular his invention would become world wide. 2 gold medals will go to the winning teams.

BOXING: Pugilisun is a venerable sport, having existed in some form or other since 1500 BC even before the ancient Greek introduced boxing to the Games at the 23rd Olympiad in 688 BC Fighters in 22 weight divisions will pair off for 12 gold medals.

CANOEING: Racing canoes and kayas was first developed in Europe in 1930’s and the sport has been dominated by European champions ever since it was first introduced in the Olympics at the 1936 Games. Participants will compete for 12 gold medals.

CYCLING: Cycling as a sport dates from the latter half of the 19th century in Europe and Europeans have completed dominated the Olympic events since they were first introduced in 1900. 9 gold medals await the winners in 1988.

EQUESTRIAN SPORTS: The equestrian events are in shown jumping, which tests the horse’s speed and ability to jump high; dressage, which demonstrates the horse’s skill and obedience; and the three days event, which combines jumping, dressage and endurance tests on roads and tracks, steeplechase and cross country. There will be 6 gold medals for the top winners.

FENCING: Believe it or not, a 12th century BC Egyptian relief carving shows fencers participating with covered points and wearing masks and padding. It is only fitting that so ancient a sport should have been included in the Olympics from the first Games in 1896. Contestants will take up foils, sabers and epees to complete for 8 gold medals.

FOOTBALL: Some form of this game has been around for millennia. The Romans spread their version throughout Europe and it is from this that the modern game ultimately derives. The game grew greatly in popularity after its Olympic success of 1920 and 1924. There is only 1 gold medal in Football.

GYMNASTICS: Systematic training of the body was espoused by the ancient Greeks, who may be regarded as the originators of this discipline. The modern sport was spread throughout the world by European gymnastic societies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The athletes will compete for 15 gold medals.

HANDBALL: The object of the game is the same as football: get the ball in the opponents’ goal as often as possible. The game has been an official Olympic Sport since 1972. There will be 2 gold medals for the winning teams.

HOCKEY: This game is actually much more widely played all-over the world than any other game save football. In fact it is believed to be the oldest game played with a stick and ball. Hockey has been in the Olympics in 1908, 1920 and regularly from 1928 on. Pakistan has the distinction of being the Olympic Champions in 1960, 1968 & 1984 besides winning silver medals in many other Olympic matches. Teams will vie for 2 gold medals - One Men’s and other Women’s.

JUDO: Judo is a Japanese system of unarmed combat that makes use of special techniques to turn the opponent’s force to one’s own advantage. It joined the roster of official Olympic sports in 1964 at the Tokyo Games. There will be a gold medal each in 7 weight divisions for winners.

MODERN PENTATHLON: This sport, which has been part of the Olympics since 1912, is based on skills needed by a battlefield courier and combines riding on un familiar horse over 15 jumps, fencing in duels, swimming against the clock, shooting a pistol with only 3 seconds to aim and fire and running a 4 km cross country course. The teams will compete for 2 gold medals.

ROWING: Rowing skills have evolved from ancient time but the first record of boat racing is from the year 1300 in Venice. There was a boom in rowing competitions in the 19th century and interest in rowing still runs high today. The competitors will go after 14 gold medals.

SHOOTING: The guns now in use are modern developments, but target shooting dates as far back as the 15th century; and shooting has been an official Olympic sport since the First Games in 1896. The best shooters will take away 13 gold medals.

SWIMMING: Swimming races were included in the First Games in 1896. Diving was added in 1904 and women events in 1912. There will be 38 gold medals up for taking at Seoul Games 31 in swimming races, 4 in diving, 2 in synchronized swimming and 1 in water polo.

TABLE TENNIS: Invented in England in the early 20th century, the popularity of table tennis grew by leaps and bounds until by the 1970’s there were more than 90 national associations.
World Championships have been held since 1927, but table tennis is new to the Olympics at the 24th Games. Players will compete for 4 gold medals.

TAEKWONDO: Although Taekwondo already has a big world wide following and was included as an official sport in the 10th Asian Games, held in Seoul in 1986, the events held at the 24th Olympics will be for demonstration only.

TENNIS: The modern game of lawn tennis is a descendent of an earlier game called real tennis or court tennis and dates from the latter half of the 19th century. Demonstration matches were held at the 23rd Games in Los Angeles. The sport is back this time as an official part of the schedule and the matches are sure to be exciting because professionals will be allowed to take part. Players will compete for 4 gold medals.

VOLLEYBALL: It is hard to believe that when volleyball was invented in 1895 it was meant to serve as an indoor sport for businessman who found basketball too vigorous.

International competition began in 1913 at the First Far East Games in Manila and the sport has been included in the Olympics since the First Games in 1896.2 gold medals will be at stake.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Lifting a special rock has been a test of manhood since ancient times, but modern weight lifting began as entertainment in music halls and circuses in the 18th and 19th centuries. The first world championships were held in London in 1891 and the sport has been part of the Olympics since the First Games in 1896. 10 gold medals await the best lifters.

WRESTLING: Wrestling has been popular since time immoral and was included in the ancient Olympia in Greece. Today, two versions of the sport are included in the Olympics Freestyle and. Greco-Roman which bars attacking below the waist. There will be 20 gold medals in these events.

YACHTING: Yachts were built in Holland as early as the 16th century but as a sport, yachting. dates from the early 19th century when many yachting clubs were formed in England and America. Yachting was scheduled for the First Games in 1896 but was cancelled because of bad weather. The event have been held since 1900 and the Olympic regatta has strongly influenced other regatta events. Competitors will vie for 8 gold medals.
Pakistan is planning to participate in the following games of 1988 Seoul Olympics Hockey, Wrestling, Yachting. Boxing, Athletics and Table Tennis.

A stamp exhibition OLYMPHILEX ‘88’ is also being held at Korea Exhibition Center from 19 September to 28 September, 1988. Pakistan is officially participating in the said Exhibition.
To commemorate the 1988 Olympics being held in Seoul from September 17 to October 2, Pakistan Post Office Department is issuing a set of 10 stamps each of Rs 10 value on September 17, 1988 representing different events, sports and games of the XXIV OLYMPICS in Seoul.