Announcing its list of Commissions for 2023, IOC chief Thomas Bach said that esports has "the potential to complement and enhance the traditional Olympic sports"

International Cycling Union and French National Olympic and Sports Committee President David Lappartient has been appointed as the chair of the Esports Commission.

The appointment of the French IOC member, who led IOC Esports Liaison Group, comes after the hosting of the first Olympic Esports Week, which was held in Singapore from June 23 to 25.

Lappartient will have World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari, who was expressed his passion for the virtual world through the WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS video game, by his side.

"The IOC believes that virtual sports have the potential to complement and enhance the traditional Olympic sports, and that they can provide new opportunities for athletes and fans to participate in the Olympic Movement," Bach said.

"We believe that virtual sports can help to promote the values of excellence, friendship and respect that are at the heart of the Olympic Games, and that they can inspire young people around the world to get involved in sports and to lead active and healthy lifestyles."

Bach also stressed on the importance of gender equality while confirming the Commissions for the year, with 296 women working from a total of 583 positions available.

The IOC has claimed that the numbers indicate a significant increase from 10 years ago, when only 20 per cent of Commission positions were held by women.

According to the IOC, 14 chairs of the 33 Commissions are women, which makes it 42.42 per cent.

While most of them are chaired by the same members as last year, recent appointments include IOC member Karl Stoss of Austria taking over as chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games.

IOC Executive Board member Kristin Kloster of Norway will chair the Coordination Commission for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Octavian Morariu of Romania, who holds dual nationality with France, stepped down as chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games in July after an interest from the 2024 Summer Olympic host nation for the 2030 Winter Games.

Meanwhile, Kloster replaced Sari Essayah as chair of Coordination Commission for the Milan Cortina 2026 after the latter resigned following her becoming the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland.

Other additions include Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis and Alexandra Guáqueta being appointed as independent members to the IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights.

Economist Mayufis was the Vice-President and Coordinating Minister of Social Affairs of Costa Rica from 1994-1998.

Since September 2021, she has been the secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Guáqueta also has plenty of experience as a leader, working as a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights from 2011 to 2015.

The Colombian is currently overseeing global social impact and human rights function at a consultancy firm.

The new IOC Commissions are scheduled to meet remotely in November.