IOC Session in India: Nita Ambani's drive to transform Indian sports and the Olympic dream

Nita M. Ambani has been at the forefront of championing India’s potential in building India as a sports powerhouse and shining the spotlight on India. Elected to the IOC in 2016, she is the first Indian woman to become a member of the IOC and has since demonstrated a deep and unwavering commitment to strengthening India’s contribution to the Olympic Movement. IOC Session:  Everything you need to know about the meeting in Mumbai In fact, she was also the driving force behind India's successful bid to bring the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session 2023 to Mumbai. India will be hosting the IOC meeting after a gap of 40 years. Hosting an IOC Session, which is the most important decision-making body of the Olympic movement, will place India prominently on the world sporting map and open up opportunities for the country such as hosting sporting events, world-class training infrastructure and developing top-class talent. Read: Nita Ambani and Mukesh Ambani host IOC President Thomas Bach at their residence As an IOC member, Nita Ambani has been already actively working towards making India a strong sporting nation. She has been appointed to several IOC Commissions since her election as an IOC Member: Olympic Channel (2017-present), Olympic Education (2017-present), and Culture and Olympic Heritage (2020-present). Being an IOC Member, as much as on the three Commissions, has enabled her to inject invaluable international experience into India’s efforts to bolster its sports landscape and engage with the Olympic Movement. Reliance Foundation, an organisation headed by Nita Ambani, has been working towards empowering athletes from the grassroots to the elite stage. As a result, 11 out of 19 Reliance Foundation athletes won medals at the 2023 Asian Games, comprising nearly 13 percent of India’s total medal tally. From 17-year-old Palak Gulia who bagged a gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event and was part of the 10m air pistol women’s team that won a silver medal to Lovlina Borgohain and Kishore Kumar Jena who secured their tickets to Paris Olympics 2024, along with bagging silver medals, are all associated with the Reliance Foundation. Reliance Foundation is also working with partners to create a world-class sporting ecosystem from the ground up across football, athletics, and school and college sports - nurturing a passion for sports at the grassroots; creating platforms for scouting and developing sporting talent; improving the quality of training and infrastructure; providing national and international opportunities; and ultimately, enhancing athletes’ performance to help them excel at the highest levels of global sport, all the way to the Olympics. Since its inception, Reliance Foundation’s sporting initiatives have reached 22 million youngsters across the country. Disclaimer: Firstpost is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.