President of the International Olympic Committee congress. Athens was approved to host the 1896 Olympic Games, being the original home of the Olympics, and Vikelas was duly chosen as the first President of the IOC. Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, took over the IOC presidency when Demetrius Vikelas stepped down after the Olympics in his own country. Despite its initial success, the Olympic Movement faced hard times, as the 1900 Games (in de Coubertin's own Paris) and 1904 Games were both upstaged by World's Fairs—Exposition Universelle in 1900 and Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904—and received little attention. The 1906 Intercalated Games revived the momentum, and the Olympic
Benin National Olympic and Sports Committee Benin National Olympic and Sports Committee Benin National Olympic and Sports Committee () (IOC code: BEN) is the National Olympic Committee representing Benin. It was created on 5 May 1962 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in June 1962. In February 1962, the Secretary of the IOC was informed of a plan to create a National Olympic Committee in Dahomey. On 5 May 1962, representatives of seven national sport federations (athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, volleyball and tennis) formed the Dahoman National Olympic Committee. The Presidents of the Athletics and Volleyball Federations, Mr. Justin Durand and Mr. Adolphe Santos,