THE OLYMPISM

“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, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the
joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical
principles.”
The Olympic Movement or Olympism is a philosophy of Olympic Games which is developed and endorsed
by the International Olympic Committee. It promotes friendship, respect, fair play and sportsmanship
through sports activities and stands against discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion or
nationality. It also expands the area of Olympism from sports activities to promoting peace and brother
hood. “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by
educating youth through sport without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires
mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”

Fundamental Principles of Olympism

In the Olympic Charter following Fundamental Principal of Olympism are described.
1. 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, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the
joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal
fundamental ethical principles.
2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of human kind,
with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal and permanent action, carried out under
the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism.
It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of the world’s athletes at the great
sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is five interlaced rings.
4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport,
without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a
spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
5. Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of society, sports organisations within the Olympic
Movement shall apply political neutrality. They have the rights and obligations of autonomy, which include
freely establishing and controlling the rules of sport, determining the structure and governance of their
organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside influence and the responsibility for
ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.
6. The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without
discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
7. Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by
the IOC.

OLYMPIC VALUES
The Olympic Games have established themselves as a global celebration of sport and peace. Through a
combination of sport, culture and education, the Olympic Movement uses sport as a tool to promote
fundamental ethical principles and support harmonious development for all. The Paralympic movement
promotes universal values: courage, determination, inspiration, equality. The three important core values
of Olympism central to Olympic Games are Excellence, Respect and Friendship. These core values are
considered important in life to make it worth living and helps in decision-making on moral terms.
Olympic Values Friendship
Friendship is at the core of the Olympic Movement. It encourages us to see sport as an instrument for mutual
understanding between individuals, and between peoples all over the world. Friendship brings Olympic and
Paralympic athletes and people from around the world together in sport, play and competition. It breaks
down barriers – encouraging individuals to look beyond the differences such as gender, ability, culture, race
or religion. By welcoming everyone’s differences we are able to establish stronger bonds. Friendships can
be the basis of connections within community for working together and supporting each other.
Respect
Respect lies at the heart of Olympism – respect for yourself and your body, for other people, for rules and
regulations, for sports and for the environment. In fact, respect is the key to strong friendships, fair play
and sportsmanship. Understanding the impact of our actions, positive or negative, is an important part of
playing a participative role in our communities. Respecting yourself and others goes beyond sport.
Respect includes
➢ knowing that we can offend or hurt someone by not letting them join in our game (respect of others).
➢ listening to and asking for the ideas, opinions and beliefs of everyone– boys, girls, people living
with a disability (respect for others).
➢ helping others to feel safe from violence–teasing, bullying, and verbal, physical and sexual violence
(respect for others).
➢ taking care of ourselves by choosing to eat healthy food, while getting enough rest and exercise
(self-respect).
➢ being confident in ourselves to share and defend our ideas and opinions (self- respect).
Excellence
Excellence means doing the best we can, on the field of play or in our professional life. The important thing
is not winning, but taking part, making progress and enjoying the healthy combination of body, will and
mind. It is about having an ambition in life, and through determination, effort and perseverance reaching
that goal. Excellence is not only on the sporting field; it is also in the classroom, where all children have
the right to an education (Article 28), and also by helping children pursue excellence by chasing their
dreams.
OLYMPIC VALUE EDUCATION
The Olympic Values Education is based on the Olympic philosophy that learning takes place through the
balanced development of body and mind. The core values also include five educational values which have
been incorporated from three domains of learning: Mental, Emotional, and Physical.
➢ Joy of effort
➢ Fair play
➢ Respect for others
➢ Pursuit of excellence, and
➢ Balance in life between body, will and mind.
➢ Joy of Effort
According to the UNESCO Charter “every human being has a fundamental right to access to physical
education and sport, which are essential for the full development of his/her personality. The freedom to
develop physical, intellectual and moral powers through physical education and sport must be guaranteed
both within the educational system and in other aspects of social life...”. Thus, the child needs to enjoy and
have fun with sports and physical activities he/she is engaged in Otherwise, an individual, if forced to over-
exert while playing without being given good experiences to remember or cherish, may develop bad
memories. Sports or physical activities should be promoted with appropriate opportunity to enjoy the energy
and effort with relative outcomes.
Fair Play
Although fair play is a concept of sports, it can be applied in many different ways and contexts beyond the
sports field. Fair play refers to playing by the rules. Learning fair play behaviour in sport can lead to the
development and reinforcement of similar behaviour in one’s everyday life. After participating in sports an
individual develops the habit of fair play that is reflected in his/her attitude and behaviour in life and towards
the community he/she lives in. In sports, an individual follows the rules. Referees and officials enforce rules
through penalties and punishments. There are many ways through which the concept of fair play can be
reflected like shaking hands with the opponent at the end of the game, appreciating the opponent’s
extraordinary performance etc.
Respect for others
As per the Olympic Charter “The goal contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth
through sport practised in accordance with Olympism and its values.” Living in a multicultural world, we
need to accept and respect diversity and promote peace. We should appreciate the worth of all peoples and
all cultures, irrespective of race, age, gender and ability. Violence is not the best way to solve conflicts. This
acceptance can be achieved through sport, because a sports team may consist of people from different
cultures, all focussed on one goal, that is, victory for the team. The task of bringing peace to societies
becomes even more challenging for sports leaders and educators in societies where there are ancient hatreds,
conflicting values or great economic differences among people. For example, since the end of Apartheid,
South Africans have worked together to create a new society, one in which there is acceptance and respect
for people of all races. Sports persons and educators have an important role in this process as acceptance
and respect for cultural difference has to be taught. Racism and intolerance are often a result of ignorance
and fear. Understanding and acceptance of difference develops when people live, work and play together.
Pursuit of Excellence
In today’s competitive and demanding world, an individual’s focus is to become the best. Focusing on
excellence can help young people to make positive, healthy choices and strive to become the best that they
can be in whatever they do. Sports provide an opportunity to players to become the best or to make healthy
choices in safe social and physical surroundings. A healthy, clean and safe community makes the welfare
of young people its number one priority. Sport sharpens skills and attends to the needs of all children and
youth—girls and boys, children with learning disabilities, and children with hearing, vision and other
physical disabilities. It provides an environment free from discrimination, harassment and fear. Sport also
provides daily opportunities for children and youth of all ages to participate in physical activity in an
environment free from discrimination, harassment and intimidation. It is also a place in which individual
differences and cultural traditions are valued and respected.
Balance Between Body, Will and Mind
Pierre de Coubertin understood that an international revival of the Olympic Games would stimulate interest
in sports and physical activity among young people. This remains as relevant today, as it was over 100 years
ago. The focus of the modern Olympic Movement extends beyond sports, embracing cultures, artistic
works, environmental awareness and education. All of these can play their part in helping young people to
build a balanced approach to life. Pierre de Coubertin maintained, “Modern education... has allowed itself
to be carried away by extreme compartmentalisation. Each strength works in isolation, without any link or
contact with its neighbour. If the topic is muscles, they only want to see animal function. The brain is
furnished as though it were made up of tiny, air-tight compartments.” He believed in the concept that
learning happened in the whole body, not just in the mind. Physical learning, too, took place in both body
and mind but it could not be done without will. Sport is a medium of balancing body, will and mind.