Soraya Aghaei became the first Iranian woman member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.
Soraya Aghaei, Iran’s Olympic badminton player, has been appointed as the first Iranian woman to become a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission (IOC). She, who was Iran’s first female representative in badminton at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is now one of the 23 members of the body that has a direct role in conveying athletes’ opinions and demands to the decision-making structure of the International Olympic Committee.
The International Olympic Committee announced that five new athletes, including Soraya Aghaei, have been appointed to complete the composition of this commission before the 2026 Winter Olympics. These appointments were made in consultation with Emma Terho, the chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.
The other newly appointed members include Hussein Alireza, rowing from Saudi Arabia, Cheick Sallah Cisse, taekwondo from Ivory Coast, Olufunke Oshonaike, table tennis from Nigeria, and Mariana Pajón, cycling from Colombia. The International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission now includes 13 women and 10 men from five continents and representatives from 20 sports.