With less than 50 days to go for the Olympic Games in Tokyo to open, Mrs. Nita Ambani—member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Founder & Chairperson of Reliance Foundation—has urged the nation to wholeheartedly support India’s athletes in their pursuit of glory. In a video message, which is currently airing on the Sony Sports Network, the official broadcasters of the Olympic Games, she highlights the tireless rigour and commitment the athletes put in. She further calls on fans to ensure they can feel “a billion hearts are beating for them” back home as they step into the arena for their competitions.
Since becoming the first woman from India to be elected as an IOC member in 2016, Mrs. Nita Ambani has repeatedly reiterated her commitment to enable the creation of a holistic sporting ecosystem in the country. Addressing the 43rd Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) last year, she said it was her dream to see India’s athletes excel at the Olympics, an event she called the “pinnacle of global sport”, and for India to host an Olympic Games in the future.
“Along with education, sport forms the bedrock of any society, especially a young society like ours,” she said in the address. “Children have a special place in my heart. When children learn and play, communities grow and countries prosper. Through our education and sports for all initiative, Reliance Foundation has so far reached out to over 21.5 million children. Right from grassroots level, we are working tirelessly to develop a holistic sporting ecosystem in the country. An ecosystem that will scout, nurture, train and develop future champions.”
Of the 100 Indian athletes that have already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, 44 are women and that number is expected to rise in the coming weeks. Both Indian medal winners at the last Olympics—P V Sindhu & Sakshi Malik—are women. During the Olympics held in London in 2012, two women, Saina Nehwal and M C Mary Kom, won medals. Several Indian women athletes across sports such as weightlifting, shooting, boxing, badminton and wrestling are being regarded as medal prospects for Tokyo.
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Mrs Nita Ambani Urges Indians To Support Athletes Bound For The Olympics