Winter Olympics

Context:

Terming China’s decision to field a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier involved in the June 2020 Galwan clashes as the torchbearer for the Winter Olympics Games in Beijing as “regrettable”, India announced a diplomatic boycott of the games just ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.
State broadcaster Doordarshan also announced it will not telecast the opening and closing ceremonies live, where India has one athlete, skier Arif Khan, participating.

The Winter Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practised on snow and ice.
The first Winter Olympic Games was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France.
The IOC is the governing body and the Olympic Charter defines its structure and authority.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is an important non-governmental organization that looks after the administration of the Olympic Games held all over the world.

The IOC has the aim of ensuring the regular holding of the Olympic Games and fostering Olympism and the Olympic movement.
The Committee decides the rules and regulations of the Olympic Games. It also decides when and where the next Olympics event will be held.

The IOC is a permanent organisation that elects its own members.
Each member must speak French or English and be a citizen of or reside in a country that has a National Olympic Committee.
With very few exceptions, there is only one member from any one country.
Members were originally elected for life, but those elected after 1965 must retire at 75.
The IOC is the final authority on all questions concerning the Olympic games and the Olympic movement.
It was for the first time that 204 National Olympic Committees represented their countries at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Executive Board which meets four-five times a year to manage the IOC’s affairs has a President elected for an eight-year term and four Vice-Presidents who are each elected for a four-year term.
There are usually six members on the Executive Board. These members are elected for a four-year term.
The administration is carried under the authority of a Director-General and a Secretary-General.
The Olympic Charter is the codification of the fundamental principles, rules and bye-laws adopted by the IOC.
It governs the organisation and operation of the Olympic Movement and stipulates the conditions for the celebration of the Olympic Games.

Source: THE HINDU.