OVEP: Celebrating the milestone of reaching 12 million children in India

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Oct 28, 2024, 6:23 PM IST

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Olympic Values Education Programme reached a major milestone last week. Now in its third year of implementation in India, OVEP has engaged more than 12 million children across the country.

To mark the occasion, the Olympic Museum, which manages the programme, welcomed children and teachers from Assam, India, to Lausanne, Switzerland, one year after OVEP was implemented in their state. The delegation, organised through the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT), participated in the museum’s 43rd annual Olympic Week, which features sports and cultural activities for kids.

IOC partnered with Odisha Government

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The IOC first partnered with the State Government of Odisha and ABFT to launch OVEP in India in 2022. The goal was to grow the Olympic Movement by integrating the Olympic values into the education system and fostering physical fitness, sporting spirit and social cohesion, with an emphasis on sport-integrated learning – both within and beyond the classroom.

Just six months after introducing OVEP to Odisha students, schools reported a marked increase in attendance and participation in sports, particularly among girls. The State Government of Assam began incorporating the programme into 100 schools in October 2023, when it was officially launched by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“I remember the first activity that we did together with the class,” recalls 16-year-old Ratul Haque Choudhury, a student from Panbazar Higher Secondary School in Assam. “First, I wasn't very active, and I like to spend my time alone, because I like to draw. Then, after hearing the rules about the game – because the OVEP games are a little bit different – I was like, ‘what is the harm in joining?’, and I joined. That's when I felt the first joy of playing with everyone.”

ABFT and Reliance Foundation expanded OVEP initiatives

ABFT and Reliance Foundation have made substantial progress in expanding OVEP initiatives, particularly in Odisha, Assam and Mumbai. The positive impact of OVEP has been widespread, engaging teachers, parents, athletes, coaches, sports and education professionals, and 12 million children in over 55,000 schools.

The change in students’ mindsets has been clear in just a short time, noted one teacher. “With OVEP, the activities are mostly mixed-gender,” said Suman Dey, a teacher at Bengali Higher Secondary School in Assam. “We have seen that the boys start having more respect for their girl classmates, and it also decreases the barrier between the girls and boys in our school. It’s more than academic success – we are also concentrating on character building.”

Effect of education go beyond the field of play

Students agree that the effects of education based around friendship, excellence and respect go beyond the field of play and their school walls. “I have been implementing [the values] in my life because it has been increasing my focus, my goals, my studies,” said Ratul.

Teachers have also arranged online sessions, where students participating in OVEP in Odisha and Assam can connect and talk with their peers. Suman explains that “they exchange their thoughts, the values they are getting and the values they are also developing”, as well as make new friends.

The exchange continued on an international level to mark the first anniversary of OVEP’s implementation in Assam. For all four of the visiting students and their two educators, the trip to Lausanne was their first time travelling not only to Switzerland, but also beyond the borders of their home state of Assam.

OVEP is based of Olympic philosophy

“It is inspiring to see how the Olympic Values Education Programme has not only enriched the lives of children in Assam’s government schools, but has also brought them closer to the larger Olympic Movement,” said Abhinav Bindra, OLY, a member of the IOC Olympic Education Commission.

“Connecting with the children and teachers from Assam during their visit to Lausanne, and seeing firsthand how OVEP is touching the lives of not just children but entire communities back home in India, was incredibly meaningful for me,” said Roxanne Godinho Arthingal, OVEP Coordinator and a Mumbai native. “Watching them cheer each other and enthusiastically try out new sports at Olympic Week, while immersing themselves in the Olympic spirit, was truly inspiring.”

The Olympic Values Education Programme is based on the Olympic philosophy that learning takes place through the balanced development of body and mind. OVEP has been implemented in over 60 countries; via key partnerships in India and China; and by the Organising Committees of the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal and the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

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