Saina Nehwal has been appointed a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC)Athletes’ Commission. The London Olympic bronze-medallist shuttler, who is recovering from a knee injury and subsequent surgery, received the letter, drafted on October 14, from IOC president Thomas Bach. Following your candidature for the elections of the IOC Athletes’ Commission during the Olympic Games Rio 2016, it is with great pleasure to appoint you in consultation with the Chair, as Member of the Athletes’ Commission.

Though Saina failed to get elected to the Commission in the elections conducted during the Rio Olympics in August, the 26-year-old was appointed member along with Luis Scola (Argentina), Aya Medany (Egypt) and Nadin Dawani (Jordan). In addition to the 12 members who are elected for an eight-year term by Olympic athletes, the IOC president can appoint up to seven members in order to ensure a balance between regions, gender, and sports. The four were appointed as part of this exercise.

International Olympic Committee

• The International Olympic Committee is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin, on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president.
• Today its membership consists of 100 active members, 32 honorary members, and 1 honour member. The IOC is the supreme authority of the worldwide modern Olympic movement.
• The Athletes’ Commission is chaired by Angela Ruggiero and comprises nine vice-presidents and 10 members. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for November 6 in Lausanne.
• The IOC organizes the modern Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, held in summer and winter, every four years. The first Summer Olympics organized by the IOC was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896; the first Winter Olympics was in Chamonix, France, in 1924.