“Champions aren’t made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhamad Ali
The 7th edition of SAI Olympics, the annual sports event of SAI International School commenced on Thursday, December 19, 2019. Chief Guest Shri Premananda Nayak, Hon’ble Minister, Skill Development and Technical Education, Government of Odisha and Guest of Honour Olympian Athlete Dutee Chand inaugurated the event and declared it open by hoisting the SAI Olympics Flag.
The 3-day event started on a vibrant and euphoric note. It was laced beautifully with salutation from all the four houses in a regimented march past to the exhilarating beats of the School band. It was followed by a spectacular torch rally, where the holy fire was brought to the ground to light the SAI Olympics torch. Finally, the Oath taking ceremony was conducted.
Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister Shri Nayak highlighted the importance of sports and said that sports prepare a child to become a complete individual. He encouraged students to participate in various sporting events and make it an integral part of their life.
Ms Chand inspired the students to take up sports as a career and urged them to keep their body and mind fit through daily physical exercise. She appreciated SAI International School’s effort in encouraging students to not only participate at various state, national and international level sporting events but also preparing them to excel in it.
Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, Founder and Mentor, SAI International Education Group shared the objective of SAI Olympics and the importance of nurturing the body, mind and soul. He asked the students to nurture the spirit of sportsmanship which would develop in them the qualities of humility, honesty and determination to work hard, hence leading them to earn success in every sphere of life. On the occasion, students who participated in National level sporting events and the winners of inter-house sports competitions were felicitated.
Day 2 was graced by eminent football players Shri Vinit Rai and Shri Chhuantea as well as distinguished Karate player Ms Valena Valentina.
The event came to a glittering end on Monday, December 23, 2019. The valedictory ceremony was graced by Shri Ashish Shah, CEO, Odisha Football Club, Ms Dutee Chand, Olympic Athlete and Ms. Sabina A Sehgal, Country Head, Leading Schools of India.
The Choir group mesmerized everyone with a medley of songs on the great values of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation. It was a great sight to witness the wonderful performance of more than 3500 students who celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji through a series of spectacular performance, which reflected the cardinal pillars of Gandhian values and philosophy.
Shri Shah pointed that the enormous well-maintained stadium shows the International character of the school. He outlined the collaborative effort of SAI International School and Odisha Football Club for the Grassroot FC program to scout talent from all across Odisha and hone their skills to make them proficient players, where by helping them to realize their dreams and enabling them to represent the state and the country.
On the occasion Ms. Sabina A Sehgal felicitated Dr. Sahoo for his contribution in making SAI International School a Leading School of India. Ms. Sehgal said that Schools like SAI International is a big hope in the field of K 12 education. She shared that SAI got selected as a leading school of the country through a rigorous procedure taking into account several vital points that aids in the holistic development of a child.
Dr. Sahoo shared that SAI Olympics is a celebration of sports and congratulated all the students for their brilliant performance. He highlighted five essential points to the parents for the wellbeing of their children, which includes guiding them to sleep early, helping them to exercise for 30 minutes every day, adding a liberal amount of fruits in their diet, checking their weight and BMI every month and not allowing them to use any kind of electronic gadgets after 8pm.
On the occasion, students who excelled in various National-level competition were facilitated. SAI Olympics was declared closed by Dr.Sahoo by lowering the SAI Olympic flag. The mega event came to an end with the SAI Olympic run wherein the slogan ‘Jai Ho’ reverberated all around. The 3-day event saw some excellent sporting activities and reflected the brilliant sportsmanship of the young SAIoneers.
