Milan, Feb 20 (IANS) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday that Spanish basketball great Pau Gasol has been elected chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Under the newly elected leadership team, Polish cyclist Maja Wloszczowska will continue as first vice-chair, while Kenyan rugby player Humphrey Kayange was elected second vice-chair. The commission has also created a third vice-chair position, to be filled by Canada’s Oluseyi Smith, a former athletics and bobsleigh athlete.

The elections took place during a meeting of the IOC Athletes’ Commission in Milan. The chair and vice chairs will serve until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, reports Xinhua.

Gasol competed in five Olympic Games, winning silver medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, as well as bronze at Rio 2016. He was elected to the Athletes’ Commission at the Tokyo 2020 Games and also serves on the IOC Coordination Commission for Los Angeles 2028 and the IOC Ethics Commission.

“This is a big moment to be able to take on the responsibility of leading our commission,” Gasol said after his election. “Since I was elected in Tokyo in 2021, it’s been an incredible learning journey that I’m excited to continue.”

“I think we have a unique opportunity until LA28 to make significant strides and build on the progress we have already made,” he added. “It’s about working together. The stronger we work together, the more we will accomplish,” said Gasol, who was for decades one of the biggest stars to grace the basketballcourts in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the world’s most prestigious professional basketball league.

According to the IOC, the Athletes’ Commission plays a central role within the Olympic movement, representing the global athlete voice inside the IOC and beyond. The commission is composed of up to 23 members, including 12 elected during the Summer and Winter Games, with up to 11 appointed members to ensure balance across gender, regions, and sports.

–IANS

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