It is described as an "excellence scholarship in sports communication, which will help the development of sports media professionals, as well as encouraging excellence and professionalism in the field."

Gilady who died a year ago, was a pioneer of television in Israel and also forged a career as an international television executive.

"The scholarship will be awarded in two rounds, one this year in preparation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and the second in 2025, ahead of the Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina in 2026," a statement said.

OCI President Yael Arad said: "Just as athletes strive to be the best and conquer professional summits, so sports journalists strive to reach the top in their field.

"Alex Gilady conquered every professional summit and always promoted and supported the dreams of the younger generation of journalists."

He had begun as a newspaper reporter and became a television producer at home in Israel.

He led the Israeli television delegation at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and was also a commentator on athletics and basketball.

Away from sport he produced coverage of the historic visit of President Anwar El Sadat of Egypt to Israel in 1977 and the subsequent peace talks,

Later he became a senior executive and vice-president of NBC Sports, the major rights holders in the United States.

In 1993 he founded Keshet Broadcasting as a commercial station in Israel.

“At the Olympic Committee of Israel we are proud to join the Keshet Media Group and to work alongside media giants such as NBC and the IOC Olympic Channel to continue cultivating Olympic sports media in Israel," Arad added.

He was co-opted to the IOC in 1994 and served on the IOC Coordination Commission for each Olympics from Athens 2004 to Tokyo 2020.

Gilady received the International Jewish Hall of Fame's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

He had also been appointed to the IOC Coordination Commission for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Gilady chaired the Television Commission for World Athletics for 23 years and the Television Council for the International Basketball Federation.

In his later years he served on the Board of Directors for the Olympic Channel from 2015 until his death.

In 2017, Gilady faced allegations of sexual harassment in the late 1990s by two female journalists.

He started legal action against his accusers and temporarily stood down as President of the Keshet Group but remained an IOC member.

It is understood that a settlement was reached which gave no indication of guilt on either side.

The IOC Ethics Commission had monitored the situation but later confirmed that "the situation was closed." 

Gilady was posthumously awarded the Olympic Order.