KARACHI: Prof Paianda A Malik, the Pakistan Gymnastic Federation (PGF) secretary and a former principal of Islamia College Lahore, shed light on the Olympic Movement — Introduction, History and Development — as a week long Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sports Administration course commenced at a local hotel here on Monday.

Addressing the participants in the first lecture of the course in the morning session after formal opening, he said the Olympic Movement started when the first recorded games took place in 776 BC.

Tracing the Olympics history, he said the revival of the modern Olympics was held at Athens, Greece, in 1896. Frenchman Pierre Baron de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at Paris on June 23, 1894, was the architect of modern Olympics.

He said the modern Olympics celebrated 100 years when the Olympic Games took place at Atlanta in 1996.

Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, IOC is a non-governmental organisation and does not allow government interference under Olympic charter, he added.

Referring to the five rings — blue, yellow, black, green and red – he said they represent five continents of the world. The flag bearing rings was first time hoisted at Antwerp Olympics in 1920, he remarked.

He also informed the audience about Olympic motto ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger besides Olympic torch, flame and relay.

Earlier, course director Mian Mohammad Rafiq, who has also specially come from Lahore, gave an introduction and purpose of the course.

In the second session, he spoke on government and sports, sports structure in Pakistan while Painda Malik delivered his lecture on sports for all.

Earlier, Sindh secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, Laeeq Ahmed who graced the occasion, inaugurated the course.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the government with the support of genuine associations was determined to weed out bogus clubs at the districts and divisional levels to revive the sports in the province.

He assured his support to the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) headed by retired Brig Rashid Ali Malik.

The SOA president said better sense prevailed after the government recognised the genuine POA after two-year stand-off.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play