Hellenic Olympic Committee

HOC has been registerd on 1894 for the preparationof the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. It is a non-profitable organisation maily supprted by Donors, the Greek State and own resources from facilities donated by donors for its mission. It is a union of all Olympic sports federations and its President is elected for one "Olympic" circle. Next elections after the Olympic Games of Los Angeles, USA. HOC mission is to manage the Olympic movement and education, to finance federations and athlets for the participation to the Olymic Games and to maintain facilities for sport events and ations. Primary goal for the US fund is to finance he costs for the hospitality and costs of "Team Hellas" to the next Olympic Games and for the participation of Greek athletes in preliminay events for the qualification to the next Olympic Games of Los Angeles 2028.

The mission of the HOC is to oversee and act to ensure the development, promotion and safeguarding of the Olympic Movement, the spirit of fair play and out-of-school physical activity, in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Ideal and the traditions of the Hellenic sport. The HOC’s role is: To supervise the Olympic Sports and cooperate with the State as well as with the public and private bodies for the promotion of healthy sport policies. To encourage love for sports and respect for the spirit of sportsmanship among the young. To organise in cooperation with the National Federations the Olympic preparation of athletes. To proceed, on its sole responsibility, to the final selection of athletes who will represent Greece at the Olympic and Mediterranean Games.

History

The history of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) is strongly connected to the history of the revival of the Olympic Games. The HOC was founded in Athens, November 24th 1894 (according to the Julian calendar), with first President Crown Prince Constantine. Its first session was held on the same day with the subject of the organizing of the first Modern Olympic Games, which were finally held in 1896 in Athens from March 25th till April 3rd, in the newly restored Panathenian Stadium. The restoration was achieved thanks to the donation of 920.000 gold drachmas (huge amount at the time) of the magnanimous Georgios Averoff. It should be noted that since its foundation and until the year 2000, the name of the HOC in Greek, had been Committee for the Organizing of the Olympic Games as the purpose of its foundation was the organizing of the first International Olympic Games.

Mission

The H.O.C. has as its statutory mission:

a) To oversee and act to ensure the development, furtherance and safeguarding of the Olympic Movement, sport, the spirit of sportsmanship and out-of-school physical education, within the scope of the principles of the Olympic Idea and the traditions of Hellenic Sport; to exercise supervision on the Olympic disciplines;

b) To see to it that the rules of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Charter are properly interpreted and correctly applied;

c) To disseminate love for sport and respect for the spirit of sportsmanship among the young;

d) To organize, in liaison with the proper National Federations, the preparation of athletes and make, under its sole responsibility, the final selection of athletes who are to represent Greece at an Olympic or Mediterranean Games competition, as well as at such continental and transcontinental competitions as are held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee;

e) To oversee and inspect the organization of the above mentioned competitions, where such competitions are to be held in Greece;

f) To draft proposals addressed to the IOC concerning the rules of the Olympic Charter and their respective by-laws, the Olympic Movement in general as well as the organizing and the holding of the Olympic Games;

g) To co-operate with the Greek State as well as with public bodies or private establishments for promoting healthy sport policies;

h) To recommend to the Minister responsible for sport affairs having supervisory authority over the HOC any measures that might help the Committee fulfill its mission;

i) To administer and manage all sports facilities under its jurisdiction. In particular, to administer and manage the “G. Karaiskakis” stadium, the Athens Olympic Aquatic Center and the Athens Marble Stadium, including all facilities therein and appurtenances thereto as well as all surrounding public premises; moreover, to see to the maintenance of and attend to the facilities of the International Olympic Academy, and take all action necessary for the maintenance of the Olympic Museum at Ancient Olympia as well as any other sport facilities assigned under HOC jurisdiction. To look after the maintenance of the site of the Marathon Start. To be represented on the board of directors of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA), pursuant to article 17 of Act 2433/1966 (Gov. Gaz. 180A);

j) To take action to ensure the preparation, publication and distribution of special editions aiming at developing and promoting the Olympic Idea and the history of Olympism, out-of-school physical education and sport in general; to ensure furthermore that HOC information material and all sort of material in print be published and circulated to help fulfill the mission of the International Olympic Academy;

k) To establish a National Olympic Academy (NOA), whose mission shall include the diffusion of Olympic Education over the entire Greek territory. NOA shall form a special HOC commission on which personalities of renowned status may also sit par excellence, such members being designated and nominated by the Plenary Session of the HOC upon proposal submitted by the HOC Executive Board, the majority of the NOA members being nonetheless designated from among HOC members;

l) To attend to the performance of the Lighting Ceremony at Olympia on the occasion of the Olympic Summer and Winter Games, upon which ceremony the HOC has exclusive rights; furthermore, to attend to the performance of the same Ceremony on any other occasion, such occasions being subject to a resolution of the Plenary Session of the HOC