World Athletics Day 2022: History, significance, everything you need to know
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The day was first introduced in 1996 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)—now known as World Athletics—the international governing body for athletics
World Athletics Day is celebrated every year globally in May to raise awareness about the importance of fitness and encourage them to play sports, especially athletics.
The day was first introduced in 1996 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)—now known as World Athletics—the international governing body for athletics.
The IAAF organises various events, tournaments, and competitions in schools and colleges, but it was stopped in 2020 owing to Covid pandemic
When is World Athletics Day celebrated?
In 2022, World Athletics Day will be celebrated on May 6. Last year, it was observed on May 7. The date is subject to change and is announced by World Athletics every year.
History of World Athletics Day
In 1996, World Athletics Day was started by the then IAAF President Primo Nebiolo. The World Athletics federation and an international governing body for the field of athletics, IAAF, organises and sponsors this day every year since then, with a focus on fitness and health.
Significance of World Athletics Day
World Athletics Day allows schools, colleges and various other institutions to promote their students’ interests in several athletic sports, from running to shot put, which require strength and stamina. The IAAF sponsors and organises these events. However, this has been disrupted in recent times owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key goal of World Athletics is to establish athletics as the top sport in schools globally in terms of participation. The federation believes schools are the best place to promote physical activity and that no other environment can compete with schools in terms of their ability to nurture and coach youngsters.
The federation believes athletics is a core sport that develops children in a well-rounded way and allows them to flourish in other physical activity, and that athletics must be made central to schools' sport programmes.
Objectives of World Athletics Day
- Popularising sports among the youth
- Giving a boost to Athletics and making it the primary sport in schools and institutions
- Increasing public awareness about sports and imparting education to youngsters about the importance of sports
- To establish an important link between the youth, sport, and environmental conservation
(With inputs from agencies)