International Olympic Day Celebration at Meir Medical Center Led by the Olympic Committee of Israel
Adi Bichman, CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel:
“Olympic Day is an opportunity for us to remind everyone that sport is about much more than achievements and medals. Through the encounters between Olympic athletes and children, we seek to instill the values at the heart of the Olympic Movement – excellence, friendship and respect – and demonstrate how they can be applied in everyday life.”
A festive event was held today (Thursday) at Meir Medical Center, part of Clalit Health Services, with the participation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes from a variety of disciplines alongside dozens of children and teenagers from the Children and Youth Sports Center at Meir. The Olympic Committee of Israel marks International Olympic Day every year, a day that, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, aims to highlight worldwide the unique contribution of sport to building a better society and promoting the values upon which the Olympic Movement is based.
This is the third consecutive year that the Olympic Committee of Israel has chosen to dedicate this special day to the children of the Children’s Sports and Health Center at Meir – where Olympic athletes have been volunteering regularly in recent years. Meir Medical Center has served as the official medical provider for Israel’s Olympic delegation for three decades. Alongside its national mission and leadership in sports medicine, providing medical support to Israel’s top athletes, this long-standing partnership brings with it unique educational and values-based initiatives throughout the year, promoting Olympic values among the younger generation.
The festive sports festival was opened by Adi Bichman, CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel, and Prof. Yaakov Chen, Director of Meir Medical Center, in a ceremony that included the Olympic torch relay and the raising of the Olympic flag by children accompanied by Olympic athletes. During the event, around 130 children were introduced to Olympic and Paralympic sports disciplines, including fencing, judo, taekwondo, archery, lacrosse, climbing, gymnastics and wheelchair basketball. All sports activities were led by the athletes.
Among the athletes who took part in the event were Yuval Freilich, Ofir Shaham, Shahar Zubari, Shira Rishony, Itay Shani, Roi Dror, Michaela Moshe, Shamai Ymarom, Alex Khazanov, Alon Dor-On, Assaf Yasur and Moran Samuel.
Adi Bichman, CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel:
“Olympic Day is an opportunity for us to remind everyone that sport is about much more than achievements and medals. We are proud to celebrate this day through an educational and values-based activity that connects elite sport with giving back, inspiration and community engagement. Through the meeting between Olympic athletes and children, we aim to instill the values at the heart of the Olympic Movement – excellence, friendship and respect – and demonstrate how they can be implemented in everyday life. We are delighted with our collaboration with the Children and Youth Sports and Health Center at Meir Medical Center, led by Prof. Danny Nemet, and with the opportunity to provide children with an empowering, inspiring and meaningful experience. Partnerships of this kind demonstrate the power of sport to promote health, education and values and positively impact the lives of children and teenagers.”
Prof. Yaakov Chen, Director of Meir Medical Center, part of Clalit Health Services:
“For three decades, Meir Medical Center has accompanied Israel’s Olympic athletes in their daily routines and at moments of peak achievement, and there is no greater honor for us than supporting those who represent Israel on the international stage and bring immense pride to us all. Beyond the medical support, the strong and long-standing partnership with the Olympic Committee of Israel goes far beyond medicine – and has created an inspiring volunteer initiative here at our Children’s Sports Center. The connection between Israel’s sporting champions and the children allows them to see firsthand how dedication, determination and belief in the journey can turn dreams into reality.”
Yarden Har Lev, VP of Education and External Relations at the Olympic Committee of Israel:
“On the celebration day of the Olympic Movement, there is no more appropriate place to mark Olympic Day than Meir Medical Center. The center is an integral part of the Olympic family, and over the past four years Olympic athletes have come here every month to train with children and teenagers, inspire them and empower them through personal example and direct interaction created through physical activity. The athletes who participate in these activities throughout the year play a significant role – both as role models and as agents of change – and we are proud of the unique process that has developed and the deep connection built between the sides. For us, this is Olympism at its best.”
Prof. Danny Nemet, Director of the Children and Youth Sports and Health Center at Meir Medical Center and Medical Director of the Olympic Committee of Israel:
“Olympic Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the values that allow sport to influence far beyond the field of play. Sport promotes physical and mental health and serves as a powerful educational tool that teaches perseverance, determination, respect, friendship and the ability to cope with both successes and setbacks. We are proud that the Olympic Committee of Israel has once again chosen to mark Olympic Day together with us, in a place where Olympic values meet daily action for the health and future of children and teenagers. The Children and Youth Sports Center was established at Meir about 27 years ago and has since worked to promote health and encourage physical activity for children throughout Israel.”
Photo credit: Arik Dvir
