The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Values Education Program (OVEP) reached a significant milestone last week: in its third year of implementation in India, OVEP has reached more than 12 million children across the country. The program focuses on integrating values such as friendship, excellence and respect into education by promoting physical activity and sportsmanship. This program, based on the philosophy of balanced development of body and mind, has been implemented in more than 60 countries and India is an example of its success.
To celebrate the occasion, the Olympic Museum, which manages the program, welcomed children and teachers from Assam, India, to Lausanne, Switzerland. The delegation, organized through the Abhinav Bindra Trust Foundation (ABFT), participated in the museum’s 43rd annual Olympic Week, an activity that offers sports and cultural experiences for young people.
THE IOC AND THE ABFT FOUNDATION IN INDIA
The IOC established its first partnership with the Odisha state government and the ABFT Foundation to launch OVEP in India in 2022. Its aim has been to expand the Olympic movement by integrating its values into the education system and fostering social cohesion and fitness through sports learning. Within just six months of its introduction in Odisha, there was a noticeable increase in student attendance and participation in sports activities, especially among girls.
In October 2023, the Assam state government incorporated the program in 100 schools, thanks to the impetus of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. OVEP’s active participation and inclusive activities have helped students like Ratul Haque Choudhury, 16, who shared his experience, “I remember the first activity we did together in class. At first I was not very active, preferring to be alone and draw. Then, after hearing the rules of the game, I thought, “what’s wrong with joining,” and I did. That’s when I felt the satisfaction of playing with everyone.”
POSITIVE STUDENT OUTCOMES
ABFT and Reliance Foundation have been successful in expanding OVEP initiatives in states such as Odisha, Assam and Mumbai. The response has been largely positive, involving not only students, but also teachers, parents, athletes, coaches, and sports and education professionals in more than 55,000 schools. Teacher Suman Dey, from Bengali High School in Assam, noted a clear change in the mindset of students: “With OVEP, activities are mostly co-ed. We have seen that boys are starting to have more respect for their female classmates, and the barrier between girls and boys in our school is also decreasing. It’s not just about academic success, it’s about building character.”
Students agree that the values of friendship, excellence and respect transcend the playing field and the walls of their schools. Ratul, a participant, explained how these values have influenced his personal life: “I have been giving them [the values] more importance in my life because they have improved my focus, my goals and my studies.”
A UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN LAUSANNE
To commemorate OVEP’s first anniversary in Assam, four students and two educators traveled to Lausanne, marking the first time they crossed the borders of their state. During Olympic Week, on the shores of Lake Geneva, the students participated in workshops in weightlifting, archery, parkour, korfball, table tennis and sports photography alongside Swiss students.
The teachers, for their part, attended working sessions on protection and strategic planning, as well as guided tours of the museum and its archives. The agenda also included tours of the IOC headquarters at Olympic House, where they were able to learn about e-sports and meet Olympic athletes.
PROGRAM LEADERS
For Abhinav Bindra, member of the IOC Olympic Education Commission and leader of the ABFT Foundation, this experience reflects the power of sport to connect minds and hearts: “It is inspiring to see how the Olympic values education program has not only enriched the lives of children in Assam’s government schools, but also brought them closer to the Olympic movement as a whole. I am proud that each of these children will return with stories and experiences to share with their friends, families and communities.”
Roxanne Godinho Arthingal, OVEP coordinator and Mumbai native, expressed her enthusiasm for the program’s impact: “Connecting with the Assamese children and teachers during their visit to Lausanne, and seeing firsthand how OVEP is touching the lives of entire communities in India, was incredibly meaningful to me. Seeing them encourage each other and enthusiastically try new sports during Olympic Week was incredibly meaningful to me. Seeing them encourage each other and enthusiastically try new sports during Olympic Week, while immersing themselves in the Olympic spirit, was truly inspiring.”