India wins bid to host 2023 IOC session in Mumbai

Mumbai has been named as the host of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in 2023, as Indian officials outlined their long-term target to host a future edition of the Olympic Games to the organisation.

Beijing (China): India on Saturday won the right to host the 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) session in Mumbai in an unopposed race, during the 139th IOC Session in Beijing, China.

The Indian delegation comprising the country's first individual Olympic gold medallist (Beijing 2008, shooting) Abhinav Bindra, IOC Member Nita Ambani, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra, and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur made the presentation to IOC members during the 139th IOC Session, being held alongside the ongoing Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"It is truly an honour to lead the Indian delegation today and share our passion and our ambition for hosting such a prestigious Olympic event. This will be the first IOC session in India in 40 yrs. India's next generation is brimming with a billion hopes. It is time to write the future of the sport and ignite our potential with the spirit of Olympism. It is our aspiration to host the Olympic Games in the future. The IOC Session in 2023 in India will be a catalyst that will ignite this ambition into action," Nita Ambani said.

This will be the second IOC session in India. The country last hosted an IOC session in 1983 in New Delhi. The IOC session is the general meeting of the Members of the IOC. It is the IOC's supreme organ, and its decisions are final.

An ordinary Session is held once a year, while Extraordinary Sessions may be convened by the President or upon the written request of at least one-third of the Members. The IOC has a total of 101 members with voting rights.

Additionally, there are 45 honorary members and one honour member who do not have the right to vote. In addition to the members, senior Representatives (President & Secretary-General) from more than 50 International Sports Federations, (summer and winter sporting disciplines), also attend the IOC session.

With agency inputs