MUMBAI: Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation has been nominated as a candidate to be a new member, pending election, of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), headquartered at Lausanne, Switzerland today.

The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. It acts as a catalyst for collaboration between all parties of the Olympic family, from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), the athletes, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), to partners and United Nations agencies. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) shepherds success through a wide range of programmes and projects. It ensures the regular celebration of the Olympic Games, supports all affiliated member organisations of the Olympic Movement and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the promotion of the Olympic values.

The election will be held at the 129th IOC Session that will take place in Rio de Janeiro between 2nd and 4th August 2016. The independent selection process follows a new procedure for recruitment of IOC members based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations. Once elected, she will continue to be a member until the age of 70. Nita Ambani said “It is truly a honour and privilege to be nominated by IOC. I believe in the power of sport to shape our youth, to bring together communities and bridge gaps between cultures and generations. I am grateful to IOC for this opportunity, it’s a recognition of India and Indian women. I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute in meeting the goals of IOC.”

She is the first Indian woman to be nominated to the International Olympic Committee. Nita Ambani has been involved in promoting multiple sports in the country with focus on developing talent through a number of large-scale grassroots level initiatives. The grassroots programmes that she has initiated has reached out to over 3 million children.