International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach chairs key executive board meeting in Mumbai

Pic/ANI

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Thursday presided over the Executive Board meeting of the IOC, taking place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The primary focus of this gathering is to make important decisions regarding the selection of host cities for upcoming Olympic events, determining the inclusion or exclusion of sports and sports federations, and making alterations to the Olympic Charter, with decisions reached during these sessions being considered final.

ANI reported that over 600 distinguished members of the sporting world are in attendance at this IOC session in Mumbai, including 99 voting members and 43 honorary members, who collectively represent a diverse array of sports. The meeting's agenda includes discussions about the recognition of entities from illegally annexed Ukrainian territories by the Russian Olympic Committee, as well as deliberations on the sports program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The Executive Board, established in 1921, comprises the IOC President, four Vice-Presidents, and ten other members, all of whom are elected for a four-year term by the IOC's session through a secret ballot by a majority vote.

One significant topic to be addressed during the meeting is the report from the Olympic Programme Commission, which will assess Los Angeles 2028's proposal to introduce cricket, baseball, softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash to the Olympic Games in five years' time. If approved, this would mark the return of cricket to the Olympics for the first time since the Paris Games in 1900.

Also read: City guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar has plans for Mumbai

It's worth noting that this is only the second time the IOC's Executive Board meeting has taken place in India, with the previous instance occurring in Delhi in 1983. The decision to hold the meeting in Mumbai was secured after a delegation, led by Nita Ambani, presented India's case at the 139th IOC session in Beijing in February 2022. Mumbai, with its deep-rooted connection to Indian sports and the country's Olympic history, is an ideal setting for such a significant IOC session.

In addition, IOC President Thomas Bach held discussions with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai, with IOC member Nita Ambani also present. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed the state's commitment to providing full support to the Olympic Association.

Furthermore, the IOC and the Olympic Museum have joined forces with the Reliance Foundation to strengthen the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in India. This partnership underscores their shared goal of promoting Olympic values through sports among young people. (With inputs from ANI)