Toyota Ghana headlines 2019 Olympic Day Run in Koforidua

Toyota Ghana Limited will be the headline sponsor for this year’s Olympic Day Run to be held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).

The event will be held at the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

Toyota Ghana has presented the Ghana Olympic Committee with 500 branded T-shirts and 60 boxes of mineral water. They will also sponsor a symbolic tree planting exercise to mark the day.

This year’s edition of the Olympic Day celebration is unique because Koforidua will be hosting the event after hosting it for the last time in three decades.

The event which will involve a five kilometre walk will start from the Asokore Community Centre through Principal streets of Koforidua and end at famous Jackson Park where participants will be taken through some aerobic sessions.

As part activities to mark the day which will be observed worldwide under the theme; ‘Move, Learn and Discover,’ there will be some exhibitions from selected sporting disciplines including taekwondo, volleyball, armwrestling just to mention a few.

In attendance will be the Eastern Regional Minister - Hon. Eric Kwakye Darfour, Member of Parliament for New Juaben North – Hon. Kwesi Boateng Adjei, Member of Parliament for New Juaben South Ho. Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah.

The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Mr Ben Nunoo Mensah will also be joined by Board Members of the GOC together with the Regional and District Directors of Education and the Directors of the Regional Coordinating Council.

On June 23, 1894, delegates from 12 countries assembled at the Sorbonne in Paris, and voted unanimously to support Pierre de Coubertin's proposal to revive the Olympic Games. This marked the birthdate of the modern Olympic Movement and the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In January 1948, at the 42nd IOC Session in St Moritz, the members adopted the project of a World Olympic Day. Presented at the previous Session in 1947 by IOC member Dr. Josef Gruss from Czechoslovakia, the proposal was for National Olympic Committees (NOC) to organise this event between 17 and 24 June to commemorate the founding of the modern Olympic Movement and promote the Olympic ideals in their countries.

The first Olympic Day was celebrated on 23 June 1948 by nine National Olympic Committees (NOC) hosting ceremonies in their respective countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela.