The 2016 Summer Olympics officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, and commonly known as Rio 2016, is a major international multi-sport event in the tradition of the Olympic Games as governed by the International Olympic Committee, being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To commemorate this great sporting event India Post joins other Postal Services and issues four special stamps depicting different kinds of sport.
StampNews.com invites our readers to appreciate the exotic design of this bright philatelic issue introduced by India Post.
Vinicius and Tom are the official mascots for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics respectively in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vinicius, named after Brazilian lyricist Vinicius de Moraes, is the Olympic mascot. Vinicius's design represents Brazilian wildlife, combining "the agility of cats, sway of monkeys and grace of birds." The character's arms and legs can stretch unlimited distances. Tom, named after the musician Tom Jobim, is the Paralympic mascot. Tom's design represents the plants of Brazilian forests; any object can be pulled out of the leaves on Tom's head.
A record number of countries are participating in a record number of sports. More than 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), including first time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan, are scheduled to take part. With 306 sets of medals, the games will feature 28 Olympic sports—including rugby sevens and golf, which were added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. These sporting events will take place at 33 venues in the host city and at five venues in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil's largest city), Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil's capital), and Manaus.
More than 120 athletes from India are participating in Rio Olympic Games. The men's hockey teams have given a shine to India's Olympic campaigns, with eight gold medals won between Amsterdam 1928 and Moscow 1980. In all, India has 24 medals (nine golds, four silvers and 11 bronzes) from 23 editions since Paris 1900.