{"id":8937,"date":"2026-02-04T21:19:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=8937"},"modified":"2026-02-04T21:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:19:44","slug":"samaranch-re-elected-and-irans-first-female-badminton-olympian-joins-the-ioc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/samaranch-re-elected-and-irans-first-female-badminton-olympian-joins-the-ioc\/","title":{"rendered":"Samaranch re-elected and Iran’s first female badminton Olympian joins the IOC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) was re-elected for a second four-year term by the 145th<\/sup> IOC Session in Milan, Italy, just days ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Session also elected three members of the IOC Executive Board (EB) – Ingmar De Vos (Bel), Kim Jae Youl (Kor) and Neven Ilic (CHI). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Session elected Olympian Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha (IRI) as a new IOC Member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the election of Aghaei, the IOC membership during the period of the Games will stand at 107 Members, comprising 48 women and 59 men. This represents 44.9 per cent female membership, reflecting the IOC\u2019s continued progress toward gender balance across the organisation. The membership also includes 43 Olympians – 25 women and 18 men – underscoring the strong athlete representation within the IOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First female badminton Olympian from Iran elected as new IOC Member<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Soraya was elected as an IOC Member by the Session, following her appointment to the IOC AC in December 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soraya competed at Tokyo 2020, making history as the first female badminton player to represent Iran at the Olympic Games. She is also a member of the Athletes\u2019 Commission of the Iranian National Olympic Committee (NOC) and has coached athletes at national level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De Vos replaces Serbian Nenad Lalovi\u0107 (SRB), whose term has come to an end while Youl Kim replaces Italian Ivo Ferriani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilic filled the seat vacated by the IOC President after her election in March 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These changes to the IOC EB will come into force only at the end of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-election of 11 IOC Members<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Session also took a series of other membership decisions during its meeting, including the re-election of 11 IOC Members who will reach the end of their eight-year terms in 2026, following their election or re-election in 2018. The Members were re-elected for an additional eight years, with the age limit being taken into consideration for the end of the terms (80 for Members elected before December 1999 and 70 for those elected after that date):<\/p>\n\n\n\n