IOC Executive Board proposes badminton player Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha for election as IOC Member at 145th IOC Session in Milan

10 December 2025 – The IOC Executive Board (EB) today decided to nominate Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha, a badminton player from Iran who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission (AC), as a candidate for IOC membership. Her election, along with a series of additional membership decisions, will take place at the 145^th IOC Session in Milan, ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The EB also recommended the re-election of 11 IOC Members below the age limit, the extension of the terms of office of two Members, a change of status for one Member, and the election of two Honorary Members. With these proposals to the IOC Session, the EB followed the recommendations of the IOC Members Election Commission.

FIRST FEMALE BADMINTON OLYMPIAN FROM IRAN PROPOSED AS IOC MEMBER

Following the appointment of five new members to the IOC AC earlier this month, Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha is now proposed for IOC Membership. She competed at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first female badminton player to represent Iran at the Olympic Games. Aghaei is a member of the Iranian NOC’s Athletes’ Commission and has coached at national level.

In line with the regulations, an Ethics Commission background check was conducted prior to the AC election at Paris 2024, where Aghaei was a candidate.

RE-ELECTION OF 11 IOC MEMBERS PROPOSED

The EB will submit to the Session the proposal to re-elect 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 will be proposed for re-election for an additional eight years, with the age limit being taken into consideration for the end of the terms (80 for those elected before December 1999 and 70 for those elected after that date):

• HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani Amir (Qatar, Independent Individual, born in 1980, elected in 2002)

   

• HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan, Independent Individual, born in 1963, elected in 2010)

   

• Mr Jiří Kejval (Czechia, Independent Individual, born in 1967, elected in 2018)

   

• Ms Samira Asghari (Afghanistan, Independent Individual, born in 1994, elected in 2018)

   

• Mrs Daina Gudzineviciute (Lithuania, Independent Individual, born in 1965, elected in 2018)

   

• Mr Camilo Pérez Lopez Moreira (Paraguay, Independent Individual, born in 1969, elected in 2018)

   

• Mrs Felicite Rwemarika (Rwanda, Independent Individual, born in 1958, elected in 2018)

   

• Mr William Frederick Blick (Uganda, Independent Individual, born in 1974, elected in 2018).

   

• HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (Bhutan, Independent Individual, born in 1984, elected in 2018)

   

• Mr Andrew Parsons (Brazil, membership linked to his function as President of the IPC, born in 1977, elected in 2018)

   

• Mr Morinari Watanabe (Japan, membership linked to his function as President of an International Federation (FIG), born in 1959, elected in 2018)

EXTENSION OF TERM OF OFFICE FOR TWO IOC MEMBERS

The EB will also submit to the Session a proposal for a four-year extension of the terms of office of two IOC Members.

• Mr Anant Singh (South Africa, Independent Individual, born in 1956, elected in 2016) will reach the age limit, 70, at the end of 2026. Because of his role in multiple IOC commissions, Mr Singh will be proposed for a four-year extension in the same capacity, until the IOC Session in 2030.

   

• Mr Karl Stoss (Austria, Independent Individual, born in 1956, elected in 2016) will also reach the age limit, 70, at the end of 2026. Because of  his roles as Chair of the Olympic Programme Commission and the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, Mr Stoss will also be proposed for a four-year extension in the same capacity, until the IOC Session in 2030.

CHANGE OF STATUS FOR ONE IOC MEMBER

The EB agreed to submit to the Session a proposal to change the status of IOC Member Mr Michael Mronz (Germany, born in 1967) to ensure Germany’s representation within the IOC. Mr Mronz was elected in 2023 as an Independent Individual Member, pursuant to Rule 16.1.1.1 of the Olympic Charter, under the special category that allows for the election of up to seven Members whose membership is not linked to any nationality or NOC requirement.  

In view of the resignation as an IOC Member of the Honorary President, Mr Thomas Bach, there is currently no Member representing the IOC in Germany. The IOC EB will therefore propose that Mr Mronz’s membership be changed to that of an Independent Individual Member as a German national.

TWO IOC MEMBERS PROPOSED AS HONORARY MEMBERS

The EB will submit to the Session the proposal to elect two Members as Honorary Members, as of 1 January 2027, as their terms of office are coming to an end.

• Syed Shahid Ali (Pakistan, Independent Individual, born in 1946, elected in 1996)

   

• Dr Robin E. Mitchell (Fiji, Independent Individual, born in 1946, elected in 1994)

The 145^th IOC Session will be held in Milan on 3 and 4 February 2026, just ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which will take place from 6 to 22 February.

ELECTIONS TO THE IOC ETHICS COMMISSION

The EB will recommend to the IOC Session the election of HE Ms Patricia O’Brien as Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, for a four-year term. A former UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Ms O’Brien is an independent personality who is not an active, honorary, honour or former IOC Member. She has been serving as Interim Chair of the Commission since her appointment in June 2025.

The EB will also propose the election for a four-year term of:

• Mr Karl Stoss, in his capacity as an IOC Member.

   

• HE Mr Kim Won-Soo, former Korean Ambassador and former UN Under-Secretary-General, as an independent personality not linked to IOC membership.

Additionally, the EB will recommend the re-election of two current members:

• Ms Auvita Rapilla, for a four-year term in her capacity as an IOC Member.

   

• Mr Pau Gasol, in his capacity as an IOC Member and representative of the IOC AC, until the end of his current term.

Following recommendations from the IOC Ethics Commission, the IOC EB approved amendments to the Statutes of the Commission and the Rules of Procedure governing cases of potential breaches of the IOC Code of Ethics. 

The changes reflect the new role of Secretary of the IOC Ethics Commission, separated from that of the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer as of 1 July 2025, and the subsequent division of responsibilities between the two roles.

Both the Statutes and the Rules of Procedure form part of the IOC Code of Ethics. The updated document is available here.