During the 145th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), held in Milan, Soraya Aghaei was elected as an IOC Member after securing 95 votes out of 100 cast.
Iran NOC; Tehran: The Session,
convened concurrently with the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, was
attended by Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa, President of the National Olympic Committee
of the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with senior officials, delegates from
208 countries, and representatives of the Olympic Movement. Aghaei received 95
votes, three abstentions and two votes against, reflecting a decisive
endorsement by the IOC Session. Her candidacy for IOC membership was formally
proposed and supported by Kirsty Coventry, President of the International
Olympic Committee. Aghaei, a former Olympic Badminton athlete, is widely recognized
as a respected, experienced and principled figure in Iranian sport, with a
distinguished career marked by sustained participation at the international
level and long-standing engagement in elite sport. The decisive vote in favor
of Soraya Aghaei underscores the strong confidence of the global sporting
community in her professional credentials, athletic background and leadership
capacity, and is regarded as a significant milestone for Iran’s presence and
influence within the highest decision-making body of the Olympic Movement.