Soraya Aghaei: IOC Membership & Content Writer Role

The IOC Executive Board has proposed the name of Soraya Aghaei, an Iranian badminton player, as a candidate for the position of IOC member. His election will be put to a vote during the 145th IOC Session in Milan, on February 3 and 4, a few days before the Winter Games. In 2021, Aghaei had become the first female badminton player to represent Iran at the Olympicsin Tokyo. She is already a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

The 145th IOC Session will also have to look into the re-election of eleven members of the IOCwho will reach the end of their mandate in 2026: Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani Amir (Qatar), Camilo Pérez Moreira (Paraguay), Pricne Feisal (Jordan), Jiri Kejval (Czechia), Samira Asghari (Afghanistan), Daina Gudzineviciute (Lithuania), Felicite Rwemarika (Rwanda), William Frederick Blick (Uganda), Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (Bhutan), Andrew Parsons (Brazil) and Morinari Watanabe (Japan).

The executive commission will also submit to the Session a proposal for four-year extension of the mandate of two IOC members : Anant Singh (South Africa), so that he can continue to assume his role in the various IOC commissions of which he is a part and which will reach the age limit of 70 years at the end of 2026; as well as Karl Stoss (Austria), who will also reach the age limit at the end of 2026 and who serves as chairman of the Olympic Program Commission and the Future Host Commission for the Winter Olympic Games.

The executive commission will also propose a modification of the status of Michael Mronz (Germany)who was elected in 2023 as an independent individual member in the special category that allows electing “ up to seven members whose membership is not linked to any condition of nationality or NOC “. The IOC Executive Board will propose that he become an independent individual member in his capacity as a German national.

The Executive Board will finally propose to elect two members of the IOC as honorary membersfrom January 1, 2027: Syed Shahid Ali (Pakistan) and Dr. Robin E. Mitchell (Fiji).