IOC Session in India: Nita Ambani and Mukesh Ambani host IOC President Thomas Bach at their residence

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach was hosted by Nita M. Ambani, the first woman to be elected as an IOC Member from India, and Mukesh D. Ambani at their residence Tuesday, ahead of the 141st IOC Session to be held in Mumbai. The IOC meeting returns to India after a gap of 40 years and is the best stage to highlight the country’s contribution to the Olympic Movement.

IOC Session: Everything you need to know about the meeting in Mumbai

The IOC session will also open the doors for international partners to connect with over 1 billion passionate Indian sports fans at both grassroots and elite levels. It will also create a wide array of opportunities for both international federations and state entities to organise sporting events, invest in building world-class training infrastructure and nurture sports talent, thereby enriching the lives of millions of Indian sportspersons as well as a billion-plus sports viewers’ demographic in a rapidly booming broadcast and digital market.

Nita Ambani had played a major role in helping India win the hosting rights for the IOC Session in 2023. The proposal for Mumbai to host the 2023 IOC Session was presented in the the 139th IOC Session in 2023 by a delegation led by Nita Ambani, the then Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr Narinder Batra, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr Anurag Singh Thakur, and India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Mr Abhinav Bindra.

The proposal passed with 99 percent of the votes from the delegates participating in the process.

Earlier this month, the IOC, the Olympic Museum and the Reliance Foundation also signed an agreement to promote Olympic values through sports among children.

The IOC and Reliance Foundation plan to focus on three main areas through the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP).

— Grade-specific activities in selected schools to promote Olympism and the Olympic values and instill positive behavioural changes.

— Virtual and in-person sessions between athletes and students to promote physical activity and discuss Olympic values.

— Raise awareness of Olympic values through interactive games, quizzes and workshops at sporting and educational events.

“Reliance Foundation is delighted to partner with the IOC for OVEP and we are really looking forward to this partnership,” said Nita Ambani, Founder Chairperson of Reliance Foundation. “OVEP brings both sports and education together. With this partnership, we can hope to positively impact the 250 million school-going children of India, reaching out to the remotest villages and regions of India, giving them options of a more disciplined, healthier, fitter and more wholesome lifestyle. Children are our future and we need to give them the right to education and the right to play.”

The IOC session will be held at the state-of-the-art Jio World Convention Centre (JWC) in Mumbai from 15 to 17 October.

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