Odisha Students Reflect on Olympic Values Education Program at IOC Session in Mumbai

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Somya Ranjan Barik, Suchismita Sahoo, Pratyasha Sahoo, Mohammad Hammad Noorain, and Bharati Sabbar, five students from government schools in Odisha, were invited to speak at the 141st IOC Session currently taking place in Mumbai about their experiences participating in the Olympics Values Education Program (OVEP).

In May 2022, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, introduced the OVEP programme in that Indian state. In collaboration with the Olympic Museum of the IOC and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust, the School and Mass Education Department of the Government of Odisha is putting the programme into action.

In 250 government schools in Odisha, OVEP is active. 200,000 kids in grades 2 through 10 are affected by it (7-16-year-olds). The fundamental Olympic ideals of friendship, excellence, respect, and fair play are taught through the OVEP. Through teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, OVEP promotes social and emotional development while enhancing students' interpersonal relationships and social abilities.

Bharati Sabar shared her experience and said, "Through taking part in OVEP, I have learned to enjoy new experiences. I've taken part in a lot of different activities thanks to OVEP, like mixed-gender football. In addition, I was chosen as the school's football team captain, which is something I never would have expected. I aspire to compete for India and Odisha in the Olympics, and I believe that many girls would benefit from having opportunities like this.

Mohd Noorain echoed her peer's perspective, saying, "I got to attend a model IOC session in my school as part of OVEP. It was a group of males who nominated Bharati as the captain of the football team. We would've never imagined playing football with girls, and now we are part of a team lead by one. This is because OVEP has taught us a lot about fair play, and we chose the best candidate to be the team's leader as a result.

Abhinav Bindra, an Olympic champion and member of the IOC Athletes Commission, gave a presentation on the program's implementation in Odisha. He highlighted the program's success in encouraging students to resume their regular schedules after the pandemic with more than 100,000 OVEP sessions spread across 250 schools. Also, OVEP inspired 15,000 girls to play sports for the first time, including mixed-gender competitions.

Almost 7 million kids from Odisha participated in the "Let's Move" campaign, which promoted beneficial exercise.

The OVEP recognises physical education instructors as the program's champions and strikes a balance between the importance placed on academic accomplishment and physical education.