India will be hosting IOC session- Nita Ambani hails decision

“SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT FOR INDIA’S OLYMPIC ASPIRATIONS”
IOC MEMBER MRS NITA AMBANI HAILS DECISION TO AWARD MUMBAI IOC
SESSION IN 2023

 Decision confirms India will be hosting an IOC session for the first time in four decades
since New Delhi, 1983
 IOC Member Mrs Nita Ambani Leads Compelling Pitch to herald significant step
forward in India’s engagement with Olympic Movement
 Indian Delegation Reiterates Country’s Aspiration to host Olympic Games in future
Mumbai, 19 February 2022: International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Mrs Nita Ambani has
described today’s overwhelming decision to award India the right to host the IOC Session in Mumbai
in 2023 as “a significant development for India’s Olympic aspirations and a matter of great pride and
joy”. Mumbai received a historic 99% of the votes in favour of its bid from the delegates participating
in the process, with 75 members endorsing its candidature to host the IOC session in 2023.
An IOC session is the annual meeting of the members of the IOC, comprising 101 voting members and
45 honorary members. It discusses and decides on the key activities of the global Olympics movement
including adoption or amendment of the Olympic Charter, election of IOC members and office bearers
and election of the host city of Olympics.
The decision confirms India will be hosting this prestigious IOC meeting for the first time since 1983,
in what is set to be the start of a new era of engagement between India’s youthful population and the
Olympic Movement. Mrs Nita Ambani also reaffirmed her long standing commitment towards enabling
the country hosts the Youth Olympic Games and the Olympic Games in the future.
“The Olympic Movement is back to India after a 40-year wait! I am truly grateful to the
International Olympic Committee for entrusting India with the honour of hosting the IOC
Session in Mumbai in 2023,” said Mrs Nita Ambani. “This will be a significant development for
India’s Olympic aspiration and will herald the start of a new era for Indian sport.”
“Sport has always been a beacon of hope and inspiration for millions around the world,” she
added. “We are one of the youngest countries in the world today and I’m excited for the youth of
India to embrace and experience first-hand the magic of the Olympics. It is our dream to
strengthen this partnership further and host the Olympic Games in India in the years to come!”
An Indian delegation, comprising Mrs Nita Ambani, the first woman to be elected as an IOC member
from India, and including Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr Narinder Batra, Youth
Affairs and Sports Minister Mr Anurag Singh Thakur, and India’s first individual Olympic gold
medallist (Beijing 2008, shooting) Mr Abhinav Bindra, presented a compelling case during the 139th
IOC Session, held alongside the ongoing Winter Olympics in Beijing. The delegation spoke of the
unique opportunity for the Olympic Movement to engage with India’s passionate sports fans.
“Nearly half of India’s population, over 600 million, are under 25 years of age,” said Mrs Nita
Ambani, during her speech to IOC delegates. “This makes India one of the most crucial and
exciting places to nurture and grow the Olympic Movement. Inspired by the Olympic Values
Education Programme, it is our mission to identify potential talent and guide them to greatness
in the world of sport. To coincide with the Olympic Session 2023, we propose to launch a series of
elite sports development programmes for youth across deprived communities.”
Speaking at the successful conclusion of the bidding process, IOA President Dr Narinder Batra said:
“I thank Mrs Nita Ambani for her vision and leadership and also thank all my IOC Member
colleagues for their support, I cannot wait to see you here in Mumbai next year. This is the start
of a new era for India sport – an era that features the long-term goal of hosting the Olympic
Games in India. We are ambitious and recognise our objectives are bold. But India is on an
exciting journey and we want the Olympic Movement to play a central part in building a brighter
future for our next generation. Delivering a truly memorable IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023,
with a strong emphasis on youth potential, sustainability, and innovation, will be one of the first
steps to showcase India’s new sporting capacity.”
The Session, to be held in the summer of 2023, will be hosted at the state-of-the-art, brand new Jio
World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Situated in the heart of the city at Bandra Kurla Complex, the
JWC is the largest convention centre in India and will start operations in early 2022.