This year’s Olympic Day was no solemn reminder of the cancellation of the highly-anticipated Tokyo Summer Olympics among other major sport events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, it came as a cheerful remembrance of solidarity, bringing humanity together for the hope of the world.
Olympic Day is on June 23 of every year, observing the beginning of the modern Olympic Games in 1948. While Olympic Day is usually commemorated through various sport events, this year’s celebration went online, respecting social distancing measures promoted by governments across the globe.
The International Olympic Committee organized a virtual workout session with 23 acclaimed Olympic champions leading the workouts throughout different time zones so that Olympic Day participants could have their daily dose of a physical activity in the comfort of their homes!
These workouts were not just workouts, for they provided assurance and consolation that physical distance does not indicate isolation as people united for the hope in the future global victory against COVID-19.
The Dream Together Master program could not miss out on one of the major sport events as DTM alumni and faculty participated in celebrating Olympic Day.
Two Sri Lankan alumni 5th batch Gobinath Sivarajah and newlywed 6th batch Hansika Wijayagunasekara were instrumental in coordinating a successful virtual celebration organized by the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
The occasion was commemorated through a live telecast on the NOC Sri Lanka Facebook page with 33 key individuals in sport from various backgrounds including the IOC, international sport federations, and academia taking part.
DTM Director Joon-ho Kang gave a speech during the virtual celebration organized by the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, stressing that sport administrators should overcome this unprecedented crisis by pushing themselves to learn different skills as “we should regard uncertainty as a constant of the future environment in sport management.”
He provided tips in that three particular skills of increasing the ability to tolerate uncertainty, improving crisis-management skills, and strengthening international cooperation through collective intelligence would prove to be priceless in the COVID-era.
Director Kang ended his speech with the note, “The dream and solidarity we are sharing will grant us the strength and hope to overcome the current and future crisis.”
