Nita Ambani becomes first Indian woman to be elected as IOC member

On August 4, 129th IOC Session in Rio elected Nita Ambani , the founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation as the first Indian woman member of International Olympic Committee.

About IOC :

The International Olympic Committee is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland created by Pierre de Coubertin, on 23 June 1894.

• IOC consists of 100 active members, 32 honorary members, and 1 honor member.The IOC is the supreme authority of the worldwide modern Olympic movement.
• The IOC organizes the modern Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, held in summer and winter, every four years. The first Summer Olympics organized by the IOC was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896; the first Winter Olympics was in Chamonix, France, in 1924.
• Until 1992, both summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year. After that year, however, the IOC shifted the Winter Olympics to the even years between Summer Games, to help space the planning of the two events from one another, and improve the financial balance of the IOC, which receives greater income on Olympic years.
• It is noted that the first Summer Youth Olympics were in Singapore in 2010 and the first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck in 2012.

Nita Ambani – IOC:-

The independent selection process followed a new procedure for the recruitment of IOC members based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations; those nominated are done so wholly on merit and then elected by existing IOC members.

• Her involvement in sports business,
• As owners of the cricket team, Mumbai Indians, a part of the Indian Premier League;
• As well as a joint venture with sports management firm IMG and
• Also being the architect of the Indian Super League, the men’s professional football league in India paved a way for her membership in IOC.

It is noted that Sir Dorabji Tata and Raja Randir Singh precedes Nita Ambani in hoilding this honorary post in IOC and also she is liable to serve as the member of the IOC till her age of 70.