The IOC President, Dr Thomas Bach, has been re-elected Prof. Franco Ascani (President of FICTS – Fédération Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs) as Member of IOC Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission.

The prestigious international assignment (unique Italian person in the Commission) rewards the work done and planned to spread the Olympic values through the different international activities carried out by the FICTS. Prof. Franco Ascani, who since 2008 was member of the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education, participated, in different capacities, in 14editions of the Olympic Games.

The Commission is chaired by Ms Khunying Patama LEESWADTRAKUL.  She is also: Member of Executive Board of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT); Chair of Culture Commission, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA); Member of Advisory Committee, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA); Deputy President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF);; President of the Badminton Association of Thailand Under Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (BAT); Advisory Chairperson of Thailand Fencing Federation (TFF).

This assignment represents a significant recognition for the fifty-year activities dedicated to the sports movement by Prof. Franco Ascani, actual President of FICTS (Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs),  Director of the Master in “Sports Management and sports events – MASPES” at the University of Milano-Bicocca.

 The new make-up of the Commissions reflects the philosophy initiated by Olympic Agenda 2020, and will provide a strong support to the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President in the implementation of the roadmap designed to shape the future of the Olympic Movement. The changes to the function and composition of the Commissions have been undertaken by the IOC President working closely with the IOC Executive Board.

Honorary Chair of the IOC Culture and Olympic Education Commission: Dr Lambis V. Nikolaou.

President Bach has significantly increased the number of women nominated to a commission compared to two years ago when he was first elected, with a third (32 percent) of places now taken by women. That is a 49 percent increase since he took office. There are also increases in the numbers of members from Africa and Oceania, as well as an increase in the number of chair persons from the Africa and Asia.

See the composition of  Commission