Shillong, Mar 5: The North East Olympic Games has dropped Olympic from its name and will henceforth be known simply as the North East Games.
This was announced by the Secretary General of the North East Sports Association through a press release today. NESA was, similarly, renamed from the North East Olympic Association.
The rechristening is in keeping with a direction by the International Olympic Committee in March 2022 to its affiliates and federations to refrain from using the word Olympic. Although the word goes back millennia and refers to Olympia, the site in Ancient Greece where the original Games took place, the IOC is extremely protective of it and the symbols associated with it.
Advisories have also been issued by the Indian Olympic Association this year regarding the use of the word Olympic.
The third edition of the North East Games will take place in Nagaland this month. Although the event will be known by the new moniker, there may be instances where the old name is still used on material, merchandise, branding, publicity, etc where it couldn’t be changed in time for the 18th to 23rd March spectacle.
