Lausanne, Switzerland, July 8, 2026: Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha, the first Iranian female badminton player to compete at the Olympics, is bringing a fresh perspective to the IOC Athletes’ Commission – determined to support athletes from every background.
Soraya was one of five new members appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission by IOC President Kirsty Coventry ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
From breaking barriers as Iran’s first female Olympic badminton player – at Tokyo 2020 – she is now championing equality and well-being, focusing on giving every athlete a voice.
Talking about her appointment in a wide-ranging article on the IOC website, Soraya said: “I want to help athletes like me who are trying to qualify for the Olympic Games with a dream, to make their lives more comfortable.
“There are so many athletes who may not win medals, but they still work incredibly hard to show the best of themselves. My aim now is to be the voice of those athletes, and to act as a bridge between them and the IOC,” she revealed.
Soraya added: “I would like to support athletes from smaller or less-represented countries, so that they feel equally valued as part of the Olympic Movement. I want to ensure that their well-being is supported, especially mental health, which is very important.
“I want to help them come into this different environment and enjoy the same feelings that I had of qualifying for the Olympic Games.”
Soraya, 30, concluded: “My message to athletes is this: your voice matters. It matters not only when you win medals, but always.”
