World Athletics Day 2024: World Athletics Day is organized by the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) on May 7 every year. It was first celebrated in the year 1996. More than 100 sports federations of the world took part in the 2016 IAAF World Athletics Day to promote sports and exercise to lead to good health.
The theme for World Athletics Day 2024 is 'World Mile Challenge'.
About the IAAF
The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) was founded on 17 July 1912 in Stockholm (Sweden). The IAAF is the world governing body for the sport of field athletics and track.
Every event has a specific purpose as is the case with World Athletics Day.
World Athletics Day Objectives;
1. Popularize sports among the youth.
2. Promote Athletics as the primary sport in schools and institutions.
3. To increase public awareness about sports and to educate youngsters about the importance of sports.
4. To firmly establish an important link between the youth, our sport, and environmental conservation.
How is World Athletics Day celebrated?
The sport of athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive events like walking, running, throwing, jumping, etc. The most common types of athletic competitions are track and field, road running, race walking, and cross-country running.
Athletics in India
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is the apex body for running and managing athletics in India and is affiliated with the IAAF and Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The AFI has 32 affiliated state units and institutional units.
The AFI was formed in 1946 and the federation organises the National Championships and arranges training for the Indian Athletics.
So the basic purpose of World Athletics Day is to promote the culture of sports among the students since their childhood so that they can give good results in big events like Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games etc.