On June 3, 2023, at the premises of the International Olympic Academy-IOA in Ancient Olympia, an unprecedented journey to the whole world began.
The symbolic journey of the International Fair Play Passport which carries the universal message of the Olympic Values.
This highly emotional event was strongly supported by Allianz as international sponsor of the International Fair Play Passport and Total Energies as national sponsor.
The presentation of the birth of the International Fair Play Passport took place at the Pierre de Coubertin Memorial at the International Olympic Academy Stadium (where flags from all over the world were flying). The exceptional choreography of Artemis Ignatiou, the inspirational choreographer of the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremonies, was created especially for the occasion and delighted and touched the hearts of all those present.
The ceremony was honoured with the presence of the Secretary General of Sport and President of EPATHLA Mr. George Mavrotas, the Secretary General of the European Commission Fair Play Mr. Mr. Ioannis Psilopoulos, the President of the Olympic Academies of Italy and Greece Mr. Mauro Checcoli and Mr. George Alikakos, the representative of the HOC Mr. Thomas Tokas, the Dean of the IOA and member of ETHNOA Mr. Kostas Georgiadis and the Treasurer of ETHNOA Mr. Stavros Perros.
Among them were thirteen (13) schools from Greece and one (1) school from Cyprus. These fourteen (14) schools had been drawn (out of 3.248 schools participating in the 3.248 schools of the 3from Olympic Week) to visit Ancient Olympia free of charge (transport, accommodation and food) and participate in a variety of sports, cultural and environmental activities.
Sociologist Prof. Gennaro Testa, the creator of the Fair Play Passport programme launched from the island of Procida, Italy, which was the Italian Capital of Culture in 2022, noted that the International Fair Play Passport “opens wide” the gates of the borderlines to transmit to all humanity the Olympic values that are the most powerful lever for changing attitudes for an upgraded and happier global community.
All the officials, in their speeches, congratulated this initiative of the National Olympic Academy, which was carried out in cooperation with the Italian Olympic Academy, and expressed their positive attitude towards the International Fair Play Passport programme, which aims to strengthen the dissemination of Olympic values at international level.
On the inside of the passport, there is the invaluable personal testimony of two great Greek Olympic champions, Spyros Gianniotis and Agis Kasoumi.
The ceremony was closed by the symbolic relay for the International Fair Play Passport. The children, at the IOA Stadium, holding a baton with the colours of the Passport in their hands, started from the centre of the area (symbolizing Ancient Olympia) and ran in all directions (symbolizing all points of the planet). There, they unfurled their paper baton, pointed it towards the sky, the illuminating Sun (whose rays light the Olympic Flame) and sent the joyful message of Fair Play everywhere!
