Olympic Day Message – 23 June 2016

On the occasion of the 122nd anniversary of the establishment of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee joins the rest of the Olympic Family in celebrating the continued development of the International Olympic Movement.

Pierre de Coubertin, French philanthropist and visionary, the founder of the IOC, devoted his life to education. His conceptualization of the Olympic Movement went well beyond the revival of quadrennial celebration of the Olympic Games. He thought it an imperative that sport becomes a major vehicle for ensuring the construction of a harmonious, peaceful world.

De Coubertin’s vision remains as valid today as it was in 1894. The youth of the world remain in need of opportunities to engage in physical education and sport as integral components of their holistic development and strive after excellence when participating in the quadrennial Olympics.

Today more than ever Vincentians are plagued by the evils of non-communicable diseases and chronic non-communicable diseases all of which result from the absence of a healthy lifestyle. Our Olympic Committee has been playing its part in the promotion of good health practices through the inculcation of physical culture, seeking to have the latter fully integrated into all areas of our education development. We will continue to educate our athletes, coaches, technical officials and administrators, all critical to the successful application of the fundamental principles of Olympism and physical culture to enhance the well being of all Vincentians.

A few weeks from today, Vincentian athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Rio. We wish them every success.

Let us continue to use sport as an avenue to promote peace and build a better St Vincent and the Grenadines and a better world.

Trevor ‘Sailor’ Bailey