Nita Ambani, the first Indian woman member of IOC
Nita Ambani was elected as the member of IOC (International Olympic Committee), at its 129th session in Rio. This makes her the first female Indian member of the IOC. Nita, who was nominated for the post earlier in June this year, said that this meant a "recognition of the growing importance of India in the world stage and a recognition for Indian women".
Nita Ambani's personal life
Born in Mumbai on 1st Nov 1963, Nita Ambani is the daughter of a Birla group executive. She has an undergrad degree in commerce from Narsee Monjee college and is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. Nita got married to Mukesh Ambani in her early 20s, in 1985. She is a mother of 3 children - twins Isha and Akash, and Anant.
Roles played by Nita Ambani
Apart from being Reliance Industries' board member, Nita Ambani's other roles include, chairing Reliance Foundation, the CSR arm of Reliance Industries, founder of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and head all of Reliance's sports initiatives - in cricket, football, basketball, kabaddi, golf and tennis.
Role in IPL and ISL
Nita Ambani's involvement in sports came about in 2008 with the beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL). She became the owner of the cricket league's Mumbai franchise, Mumbai Indians, which went on to win two IPL championship titles. Neeta Ambani is also the architect of ISL (Indian Super League), which helped in improving the profile of football as a sport in India.
Reliance Foundation - Focus on Sports
Set up in 2010, Reliance Foundation provides impetus to philanthropic activities of Reliance Industries. 'Sports for Development' is among many of its focus areas. Its initiatives include "Reliance Foundation Youth Sports", in sync with Indian Government's 'Khelo India' vision. It aims to transform sports culture in India, beginning with football in 2016. It gradually plans to add more sports like basketball, badminton, tennis, etc.
Some more initiatives led by Nita Ambani
Some of the other initiatives from Reliance Foundation led by Nita Ambani are, the "Reliance Foundation Young Champs" aimed to provide a platform for football talent between 10-14 years of age; and "Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Program", a school-level youth basketball program.
