Yeoh up for IOC membership

PETALING JAYA: Oscar-winning actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh is set to add another feather in her cap.

She has been nominated as a candidate for membership of the International Olympic Committee.

The 61-year-old Ipoh-born acting star is among eight candidates nominated by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board.

Yeoh is the first Malaysian to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once.

IOC President Thomas Bach said the eight candidates have undergone integrity checks conducted by the IOC Ethics Commission.

“These candidates bring added value to the work of the IOC because of their experience and diverse expertise in different walks of life.

“What they all have in common is their love for sports and their strong belief in Olympic values and what the IOC stands for,” he said in a statement.

Bach also said the selection of four women reinforces the IOC’s commitment to gender equality by increasing the membership to 44 women, making up 41.1% members of the council. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, who congratulated Yeoh, said her presence within the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement will undoubtedly serve as a platform for the voice of Malaysia to be at the highest level.

“The OCM is immensely proud of her nomination and wholeheartedly supports it,” he said in a statement.

The seven other candidates are Yael Arad of Israel, Balazs Furjes of Hungary, Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta of Peru, Michael Mronz of Germany, Petra Sorling of Sweden, Jae Youl Kim of Korea and Mehrez Boussayene of Tunisia.