The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Nat Indrapana, IOC Member in Thailand, at the age of 80.
With a strong academic background, Nat Indrapana was a key figure in the development of sport in Thailand and Asia, holding numerous positions within sports organisations in his country and continent.
He was Deputy Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand; Chairman of the Sports Development and Improvement Committee at the Southeast Asian Federation; President of the Asian Trap and Skeet Shooting Federation; a Council member of the Asian Games Federation and of the Olympic Council of Asia; and a member of the University Sports Board of Thailand.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: "With the death of Nat Indrapana, the IOC loses a true gentleman of sport. With his outstanding gentleness he made many friends around the world, including me. Over the years of his membership, Nat contributed greatly to the Olympic Movement and the protection of its values. For this, he mobilised all his personal forces to serve the IOC even while fighting his serious disease. We will all miss him greatly."
Indrapana entered the IOC in 1990 and had more recently been a member of the Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission since 2015 after serving on many other Commissions, namely Eligibility (1992-1998), Radio and Television (1993-1996, then 2002-2004), Culture and Olympic Education (1999-2015) and the Olympic Programme (2005-2013).
He closely followed the organisation of several Olympic Games by sitting on the Coordination Commissions for Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 and the 1st Youth Olympic Games Singapore 2010, in addition to taking part in the Evaluation Commission for the 2020 Games in 2013.
Holding a Diploma in Physical Education from Sydney Teachers’ College, Australia; Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Physical Education from California State University, USA; and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physical Education from the University of Alberta, Canada, Indrapana was also awarded Honorary Doctorates of Philosophy by three universities in Thailand: Srinakharinwirot (Physical Education), Chulalongkorn (Sports Science) and Burapha (Sports Science).
In Srinakharinwirot University, he was Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education (1975-1977), Vice-President (1977-1987) and a member of the Council since 2007. Throughout his life, Indrapana was a member of the Councils of two other universities in his country: Mahidol (1990-1994) and Thammasat (1995-1997).
Further contributions to national sport came through his tenures as Vice-Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (1989-1996), a member of the Board of the Sports Authority of Thailand (2002-2006) and Vice-Minister of Tourism and Sports (2007-2008). From 1996 to 2007, he was also Vice-President of Singha Corporation.
Indrapana played active roles whenever his country was called upon to host athletes from the region, and he was Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Organising Committee for the Asian Games Bangkok 1978, Chairman of Venues for the Southeast Asian Games Chiang Mai 1995 and a member of the Organising Committee for the Asian Games Bangkok 1998.
And for 10 years, between 1999 and 2009, he held a strategic position within an International Federation as Vice-President of the World Taekwondo Federation.
To honour the memory of Nat Indrapana, the IOC President has asked for the Olympic flag to be flown at half-mast at the IOC Headquarters for three days.
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Mr Indrapana’s family.
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