NOC’s Olympic Day celebration 2020 today in Colombo

In spite of the entire globe slowing down as a result of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Sri Lanka has found a way of keeping up the momentum – a true Olympic Day celebration today, 23 June, at NOC Sri Lanka Headquarters in Colombo 7 from 10 a.m. onwards and it will be telecast live via the NOC Sri Lanka Facebook page.

As a result of the banning of the crowd gathering and the now proverbial one-metre distance the NOC Sri Lanka organising team planned out the series of virtual sessions neatly planned and worked out to detail. 33 sports actors around the world shall share their messages under the three different themes of United by Education, United by Talent and United by Experience, especially the President of Japanese Olympic Committee, President of International Judo Federation, IOC members, members from the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, Sri Lanka leading athletes, scholars who are reading their higher studies abroad.

Besides, to make the event significant the organisers also have made arrangements to launch an environmentally-friendly program by starting a drive to plant a ‘Mee’ tree (Madhuca longifolia), a tree that provides oxygen to the atmosphere, under the theme of “Plant a tree for a new lease of life”. The organisers have already planted over 300 new trees through Sri Lanka by athletes and well-wishers.

Under the three pillars of Olympic Day Values – move, learn and discover, a new sport – Teqball makes its first demonstrative appearance by Teq Lankans. Before the start of the demonstration, the General-Secretary of the Fédération Internationale de Teqball, Marius Vizer Jr will deliver a virtual introductory address.

Japanese Ambassador for Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama will attend the occasion as the Chief Guest while Olympic Medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe, former Sri Lanka Cricket Captain Roshan Mahanama, former Sri Lanka Rugby Player and athlete Summa Navaratnam and the President of the NOC Sri Lanka Suresh Subramaniam and the Secretary General Maxwell de Silva will also be present.