Newly elected Olympian Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha / Wikimedia commons

Olympian Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha (Iran) has scripted history after she was elected a new member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). A decision to this effect was taken at the recent meeting of the Executive Board (EB) of the IOC.

The EB also decided to extend the membership of Anant Singh (South Africa, Independent Individual, born in 1956, elected in 2016), as he will reach the age limit, 70, at the end of 2026. In recognition of his contributions across multiple IOC commissions, a four-year extension was approved, in the same capacity, until the IOC Session in 2030. Under the IOC statute, members attaining the age of 70 retire automatically unless their term is extended by the IOC Executive Board.

Anant Singh, a noted film producer, belongs to the Indian diaspora.

Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (Bhutan, membership linked to a function within a National Olympic Committee, born in 1984, elected in 2018) and Samira Asghai (Afghanistan, Independent Individual, born in 1994, elected in 2018) have also been re-elected, as they shall be completing their eight-year terms this year. Unless re-elected, members retire at the end of their eight-year term as IOC members.

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Following the election of Aghaei, the IOC membership during the period of the Games will stand at 107 members, comprising 48 women and 59 men. This represents 44.9 per cent female membership, reflecting the IOC’s continued progress toward gender balance across the organisation. The membership also includes 43 Olympians—25 women and 18 men—underscoring the strong athlete representation within the IOC.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain) was also re-elected for a second four-year term by the 145th IOC Session in Milan, Italy, just days ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The session also elected three members of the IOC Executive Board (EB)—Ingmar De Vos (Belgium), Jae Youl Kim (Korea), and Neven Ilic (Chile).  In addition, the session elected Olympian Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha (Iran) as a new IOC member.

The session held elections for the IOC Executive Board (EB).  Three EB members were also elected: Ingmar De Vos (Belgium) replaced Nenad Lalovic (Serbia), whose term has come to an end; Jae Youl Kim (Korea) has replaced Ivo Ferriani (Italy), whose term has also come to an end. Neven Ilic (Chile) has filled the seat vacated by the IOC president after her election in March 2025.

These changes to the IOC EB will come into force only at the end of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The Session also took a series of other membership decisions during its meeting, including the re-election of 11 IOC Members who will reach the end of their eight-year terms in 2026, following their election or re-election in 2018. The members were re-elected for an additional eight years, with the age limit being taken into consideration for the end of the terms (80 for members elected before December 1999 and 70 for those elected after that date):

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani Amir (Qatar, membership linked to a function within a National Olympic Committee, born in 1980, elected in 2002)

Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan, Independent Individual, born in 1963, elected in 2010)

Jiri Kejval (Czechia, Independent Individual, born in 1967, elected in 2018)

Samira Asghai (Afghanistan, Independent Individual, born in 1994, elected in 2018)

 Daina Gudzineviciute (Lithuania, Independent Individual, born in 1965, elected in 2018)

Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira (Paraguay, Independent Individual, born in 1969, elected in 2018)

Felicite Rwemarika (Rwanda, Independent Individual, born in 1958, elected in 2018)

William Frederick Blick (Uganda, Independent Individual, born in 1974, elected in 2018).

Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (Bhutan, membership linked to a function within a National Olympic Committee, born in 1984, elected in 2018)

Andrew Parsons (Brazil, membership linked to his function as President of the IPC, born in 1977, elected in 2018)

Morinari Watanabe (Japan, membership linked to his function as President of an International Federation (FIG), born in 1959, elected in 2018)

The session approved a four-year extension of the terms of office of two IOC members.

Anant Singh (South Africa, Independent Individual, born in 1956, elected in 2016) and Karl Stoss (Austria, Independent Individual, born in 1956, elected in 2016) will also reach the age limit, 70, at the end of 2026. Because of his roles as Chair of the Olympic Programme Commission and the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, a four-year extension was approved, in the same capacity, until the IOC Session in 2030.

The session approved the change of status of IOC Member Michael Mronz (Germany, born in 1967) to ensure Germany’s representation within the IOC.  Mronz was elected in 2023 as an Independent Individual Member, pursuant to Rule 16.1.1.1 of the Olympic Charter, under the special category that allows for the election of up to seven members whose membership is not linked to any nationality or NOC requirement.  

In view of the resignation as an IOC member of the honorary president, Thomas Bach, there is currently no member representing the IOC in Germany. The IOC Session therefore approved the change of Mronz’s membership to that of an Independent Individual Member as a German national.

The session elected Patricia O’Brien as chair of the IOC Ethics Commission for a four-year term. A former UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, O’Brien is an independent personality who is not an active, honorary, or former IOC member. She has served as Interim Chair of the Commission since her appointment in June 2025. 

The session also elected two new Ethics Commission members for a four-year term:

Karl Stoss, in his capacity as an IOC member, and Kim Won-Soo, former Korean ambassador and former UN under-secretary-general, as an independent personality not linked to IOC membership.

Additionally, the session re-elected two current members of the commission:

Auvita Rapilla, for a four-year term in her capacity as an IOC Member, and Pau Gasol, in his capacity as an IOC Member and representative of the IOC AC, until the end of his current term.

In taking these membership decisions, the Session followed the recommendations of the IOC EB.

Discover more at New India Abroad.