April, 2017: Nita Ambani made member of IOC's Olympic Channel

India’s first woman International Olympic Committee member Nita Ambani made it to two important commissions of the global sports governing body, including the prestigious Olympic channel.

Besides the Olympic Channel, the 53-year-old Ms. Ambani has also been made a member of Olympic education Commission as IOC announced the composition of 26 commissions for 2017. She is one of the 16 members of the Olympic Channel Commission headed by United States Olympic Committee Chairman Lawrence Francis Probst.

Ms. Ambani has replaced International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven, who was a member of the commission till last year.

The Olympic Channel, ambitious brainchild of IOC President Thomas Bach, received the go-ahead from the full IOC in December 2015. The digital channel, projected to cost about USD 600 million over the first seven years, was launched in August last year during Rio Games. The Madrid-based channel is designed to promote Olympic sports and values year-round. It will be a mix of sports programming, Olympic archive footage, news and other material.

Ms. Ambani is also named in the 24-member Olympic Education Commission, which is headed by New Zealander Barry John Maister, an IOC member and a 1976 Olympic hockey gold medallist.

Ms. Ambani, the founder chairperson of Reliance Foundation, was elected as an individual member of International Olympic Committee last year and became the first Indian woman to join the body, which governs Olympic sports in the world. She will serve the world sport’s apex body till the age of 70. Ms. Ambani was also member of IOC Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development Through Sports last year.

Another Indian, Olympic medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal continues to be in the IOC Athletes Commission. She was appointed in that position in October last year.

The new announcement of the composition of the IOC commissions for 2017 is marked by an increase of 70 per cent in female participation since September 2013. The commissions also reflect a broader geographical representation and include a number of new faces from this generation.