Hellenic Olympic Committee headquarters, in Chalandri
The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC, Greek: Ελληνική Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή) is the governing Olympic body of Greece. It is the second oldest National Olympic Committee in the world (after the French Olympic Committee), it organizes the country's representatives at the Olympic Games and other multi-sport events.
Members of the committee are 27 sports federations, which elect the Executive Council composed of the president and six members.
The history of the Hellenic Olympic Committee is strongly connected to the history of the revival of the Olympic Games. It was founded in Athens on February 3, 1894, with the name Committee of the Olympic Games (Greek: Επιτροπής Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, E.O.A.) and became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1895. E.O.A organized 1896 Summer Olympics, first in modern history, in restored Panathenaic Stadium, who was held from 6 to 15 April.[1]
In 1899, the Greek government gave to E.O.A. full responsibility to cooperate with other sport federations, spreads the Olympic spirit and its structure of the 12 members, led by the president.
When Athens was chosen as the host city of the 2004 Summer Olympics during the 106th IOC Session held in Lausanne on 5 September 1997, in 2000 the E.O.A. changed its name to the Hellenic Olympic Committee.
From the I Mediterranean Games in Alexandria in 1951, Hellenic Olympic Committee is responsible for their holding every four years as part of preparations for the Olympic Games.
The HOC organises the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in Ancient Olympia for ceremonies of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, as well as the Olympic torch relay over Greece, before the Flame continues its journey in the host country of the Olympic Games.
The Hellenic National Federations are the organizations that coordinate all aspects of their individual sports. They are responsible for training, competition and development of their sports. There are currently 26 Olympic Summer and one Winter Sport Federations in Greece.[3]
