Abhinav Bindra elected Vice Chair of IOC Athletes' Commission

India's 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal-winning shooter Abhinav Bindra was elected as the second Vice Chair of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission on Friday.

Emma Terho, a Finnish ice hockey player, was re-elected as Chair of the Athletes' Commission. Maja Włoszczowska (Cycling, Poland) was elected as the other Vice Chair of the commission.

Bindra was elected to the commission as a member of the Athletes' Commission in 2018.

"Honoured to be elected as the Second Vice Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission. I'm committed to serving in the best interests of athletes worldwide and ensuring their voices are heard," wrote Bindra, the former 10m air rifle gold medallist, on X.

All three will hold their positions until the Winter Olympics in 2026.

The IOC, in a statement, said, "After the election of four new members to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) by the athletes competing at Paris 2024, the new-look Commission met today for the first time to elect its Chair and Vice-Chairs."

"Elected to the AC at Pyeongchang 2018, Terho was chosen to lead the Commission after the elections held during Tokyo 2020. She was subsequently re-elected as Chair at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022," said the IOC statement.

The Athletes' Commission Chair sits on the IOC Executive Board, representing the voice of sportspersons at the highest level of IOC decision-making.

The Athletes' Commission plays a vital role within the Olympic Movement, representing the global athlete voice within the IOC and beyond.

The Commission is composed of a maximum of 23 members, 12 of whom are directly chosen through elections during the Summer and Winter Games, with a maximum of 11 appointed members to ensure a balance between genders, regions and sports.