Renowned Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh is on track to become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Her name has been proposed as a candidate, making her a significant addition to the IOC. This brings the total number of potential new members to eight.
This exciting development comes after Michelle Yeoh made history in March 2023 by becoming the first Asian woman, at the age of 61, to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
The IOC currently has 99 invited members, including individuals from various backgrounds such as royalty, sports, politics, and industry. Their main job is to confirm the host cities for the Summer and Winter Olympics, a task given to them by the IOC administration and executive board.
It’s worth noting that Michelle Yeoh has been involved with the United Nations, representing Malaysia at its General Assembly and serving as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. development program.
IOC President Thomas Bach praised all the candidates, highlighting their diverse experiences and expertise from different walks of life. He emphasized their shared love for sports and strong belief in the Olympic values.
Additionally, Bach mentioned that the inclusion of four women among the candidates reflects the IOC’s commitment to gender equality, raising the percentage of women in the committee to 41.1%.
Among the seven other proposed candidates are Yael Arad (Israel), Balazs Furjes (Hungary), Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta (Peru), Michael Mronz (Germany), Petra Sorling (Sweden), Jae Youl Kim (South Korea), and Mahrez Boussayene (Tunisia).
These eight potential new members are likely to be approved at a meeting in Mumbai, India, from October 15 to 17.
For context, the last representative from Malaysia in the IOC was Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar, the former President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, who now holds an honorary position within the IOC.
