Nita Ambani among eight new IOC members

Nita Ambani, an Indian businesswoman and owner of the Indian Premier League cricket franchise Mumbai Indians, was among eight new members elected to the International Olympic Committee on Thursday (August 4) on the eve of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Ambani joined world governing bob and skeleton federation chief Ivo Ferriani of Italy, South African film producer Anant Singh and Austria Olympic committee chief Karl Stoss.

The wife of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, who is the chairman of Reliance Industries, Nita also heads the Reliance Foundation and is the chairperson of the franchise-based Indian Super League soccer tournament.

Canadian Olympic committee president Tricia Smith, Finland’s Sari Essayah, Colombia’s former ambassador to the US Luis Moreno and Secretary General of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee Auvita Rapilla were also voted in.

The eight new members bring the total number of IOC members to 98.

Moreno, Singh and Ambani were earmarked for membership by the IOC Members Election Commission which is chaired by Britain’s Princess Anne as candidates outside the Olympic and sport community who could usher in a fresh approach and new skills to the organisation.

As part of reforms agreed in 2014, the IOC is eager to elect members “with different sets of skills and knowledge while ensuring the necessary balance in terms of gender and geography”.

In separate internal elections, the son of the late Juan Antonio Samaranch, who led the IOC from 1980 to 2001, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, was elected to the position of vice-president of the Olympic body along with Turkey’s Ugur Erdener.

Former Olympic pole vault champion Sergey Bubka won another term on the powerful executive board, with US member Angela Ruggiero also joining the decision-making body after being elected as head of the IOC’s athletes’ commission.Nita Ambani in Rio after the IOC meeting