British Olympic Association logo |
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| National Olympic Committee | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Code | GBR |
| Created | 1905 |
| Recognized | 1905 |
| Continental Association |
EOC |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| President | HRH The Princess Royal |
| Website | olympics.org.uk |
| 2012 Summer Olympics |
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| IOC • BOA • LOCOG |
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the national Olympic committee (NOC) for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing, athletics, rugby, football and archery. The BOA now includes as its members the thirty-three national governing bodies of each Olympic sport, both summer and winter.
Great Britain is one of only five countries which have never failed to be represented at the Summer Olympic Games since 1896. Great Britain, France and Switzerland are the only countries to have been present at all Olympic Winter Games. Great Britain has also played host to two Olympic Games in London: in 1908 and 1948. In 2005, London was selected as the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The BOA is one of 205 NOCs currently recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC’s role is to lead the promotion of Olympism in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The Charter details the philosophy, aims and traditions of the Olympic Movement. The IOC co-opts and elects its members from among such persons as it considers qualified. Members of the IOC are its representatives in their respective countries and not delegates of their countries within the IOC.
A representative of each of the Olympic sports makes up the NOC, the BOA's decision and policy-making body. The NOC elects four officers: a President, Chairman and two Vice-Chairman, each for a four-year term. Six members of the NOC are also elected to the Board. This Board is involved in more detailed work of the BOA and will also put forward specific proposals for decision by the NOC.
The mission of the BOA is to "transform British lives through the power of the Olympic values and the success of Team GB". The BOA’s principal role is to prepare and lead the United Kingdom's athletes at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. Working with the national governing bodies, the BOA selects Team GB's members to compete in all sports at the summer and winter Olympics.
The BOA is independent and privately funded. It receives no funding from the lottery or government and has no political interests. The success of its mission is entirely dependent upon the income it receives from fundraising and events. It is the primary organisation responsible for promoting the Olympic movement throughout the United Kingdom.
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The BOA's origins pre-date the International Olympic movement and its governing body, the International Olympic Committee.
It traces its roots back to the National Olympian Association (NOA), which held its inaugural meeting at the Liverpool Gymnasium, Myrtle Street, Liverpool in November 1865. It promoted an annual series of sporting events across Britain, with the aim of encouraging participation in Physical Education through Olympian festivals. It came about mainly through the efforts of John Hulley of Liverpool (Chairman), Dr. William Penny Brookes (of Much Wenlock) and E G Ravenstein (president of the German Gymnastic Society of London).[1] It took the existing Olympian Games of Much Wenlock as its example, thus the NOA Games "were open to all comers", and not just the products of Britain's public schools. After the NOA closed in 1883 its motto and ethos were inherited by the National Physical Recreation Society (NPRS) which was founded in 1885. From 1902 the President and Treasurer of the NPRS were members of the Olympic "Comite Brittanique", and the NPRS was a founding body of the British Olympic Association in 1905.[2]
Australia were also approached by the British Olympic Association to play Barbarian F.C. (The Barbarians) at Wembley Stadium on 6 December 2008. The proposed match would have formed part of the BOA's programme of events to celebrate the centenary of the first London Olympic Games where Australia defeated a Great Britain (Cornwall) side in the final 32-3.[3]
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