Festivals: Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games took place in ancient Greece and was said to have been held in 776 BC. The object of the Games was to develop benchmarks of human creativity and excellence. Over the centuries, the Games highlighted extraordinary achievements and soon became the stage for noble competition and the education of sports. The sports which formed part of the Games were linked to ancient Greek myths. The Olympic Games were banned in 393 AD by the Emperor Theodosius for being 'too pagan'.

In 1896, Pierre de Coubertin and Dimitrios Vikelas along with many contributors organized the first Modern Olympic Games which was held in its birthplace, Athens. The whole world celebrated its revival and the spirit of the Games remained the same even after thousands of years. The Games now travels around the world every four year and has evolved into what we see today. In addition to the summer event, there is also the Paralympic Games (which takes place a month after the Modern Olympics for athletes with a disability) and the Winter Olympic Games which takes place two years after the Modern Olympics.

Countries from all over the world take part. In 2016, the programme will include 306 events in 28 different sports. Some of these sports are: archery, athletics, basketball, cycling, judo, sailing, shooting and weightlifting. In the winter, the sports programme includes: ice skating, skiing, curling and bob sleighing.