Paris Olympics 2024: Nita Ambani re-elected unanimously as IOC member
Paris (PTI): Indian sports administrator Nita Amabani was on Wednesday re-elected unanimously as member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Ambani won unanimously with 100 per cent of vote at the 142nd IOC session here.
"I am deeply honoured to be re-elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee. I would like to thank President (Thomas) Bach and all my colleagues in the IOC for their faith and trust in me," Ambani said.
"This re-election is not just a personal milestone but also a recognition of India's growing influence in the global sporting arena. I share this moment of joy and pride with every Indian and look forward to continuing our efforts to strengthen the Olympic Movement in India and around the world," she added.
Ambani was first appointed to join the prestigious body in 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games. Since then, as India's first woman to join the IOC, Ambani has already made great strives for the association, whilst also championing India's sporting ambitions and Olympic vision.
This includes recently hosting the first IOC session in Mumbai in 40 years in October 2023.
As founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Ambani seeks to empower millions of Indians with resources and opportunities.
She drives various initiatives across sport, education, health, art and culture -- all aimed at improving the lives of people across the country.
As part of a long-term partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Reliance Foundation has opened the first-ever India House at the Paris Olympics.
India House will be a "home away from home" for athletes, a place to celebrate wins, and share India's Olympic journey with the world.
It demonstrates India's ambitions to become a dominant force in global sports, fostering greater success at the Olympics and charting a course towards hosting the Games in the future.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
