The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) won the bid to host the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) 140th Session 2023 at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai in May or June 2023. India’s proposal for the hosting rights was presented by Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold medallist, Nita Ambani, IOC member, Narinder Batra, IOA President during the 139th edition of IOC Session in Beijing recently.
In his Twitter message, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said: “It is gladdening to note that India has been chosen to host the 2023 International Olympic Committee Session. I am confident this will be a memorable IOC session and will lead to positive outcomes for world sports.”
India won the bid after 75 members voted in favour of Mumbai while one voted against it. The IOC Session 2023 is returning to India after 40 years. India last hosted an IOC Session in 1983 in New Delhi. Commenting on India winning the bid, Nita Ambani, the first woman to be elected as an IOC member from India, said: “I am truly grateful to the International Olympic Committee for entrusting India with the honour of hosting the IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023. This will be a significant development for India’s Olympic aspiration and will herald the start of a new era for Indian sport.”
In a statement, Thomas Bach, IOC’s President, stated: “We have chosen India because it is the second-most populous nation in the world, with a very young population and a huge potential for Olympic sport.”
According to an official release, the IOC’s Evaluation Commission had confirmed Mumbai’s eligibility to host the event in 2020 after visiting the city in October 2019, based on the quality of the facilities at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai. The Commission was also impressed by the potential of India, which is the world’s sixth-largest economy with a population of about 1.4 billion, 60 per cent of whom are under 35.
The IOC Session is the general meeting of the Members of the IOC and is held at least once every year. Important decisions regarding host cities for upcoming events, inclusion or exclusion of sports and federations and changes in the Olympic Charter are made at the IOC Sessions.
