Sindhu named Athletes Commission chairperson, Harmanpreet her deputy; Mirabai, Sajan IOA GB members

File Photo: PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the IOA Athletes’ Commission after being elected unopposed | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) Athletes Commission, with men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh as vice-chairperson.

Both were the only candidates and were declared elected unopposed on Friday. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash were also elected unopposed as the athlete representatives to the IOA General Body.

Sindhu and Harmanpreet, both two-time Olympic medallists, will join the IOA executive council, which will be constituted after the polls on December 5. Chanu and Sajan can vote in those polls.

The Saturday elections for these posts are no longer needed, and Returning Officer Sanjay K Srivastava will only issue the formal notification. All four have four-year terms, from 2026 to 2030.

ALSO READ: Olympic champion Khelif to make professional boxing debut in Paris on December 15

“Ms. Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (female) ... is the sole candidate who has filed nomination under the post of chairperson therefore, she becomes the chairperson of the IOA Athletes’ Commission as an unopposed candidate and shall not be subject to polling. Mr. Harmanpreet Singh (male) ... becomes the Vice-Chairperson of the IOA Athletes Commission as an unopposed candidate and shall not be subject to polling,” said a notice issued by the Returning Officer on Friday.

“Ms. Mirabai Chanu Saikhom (Female) ... Mr. Sajan Prakash (Male) ... are the only candidates who have filed their nominations as the two (2) Representatives of the Athletes’ Commission to the IOA General Assembly, against the one (1) seat each reserved for a male and a female representative. Accordingly, both candidates become unopposed Representatives of the Athletes Commission to the IOA General Assembly and shall not be required to participate in the polling process.”

Under the rules, the chairperson and vice-chairperson must be one male and one female, and the same applies to the two General Body representatives. Candidates for the top two posts had to come from the six Olympic-category members, those who competed in at least one of the last three Games.

On November 3, ten sportspersons, five men and five women, were declared elected unopposed as members of the commission.

Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan and shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, from the Olympic Council of Asia’s Athletes Commission, will be ex-officio members. The rest are Salima Tete, Swapnil Kusale, Bhavani Devi, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Bombayla Devi and Manjeet Singh.

Sindhu, Chanu and Bhavani also served on the earlier commission headed by MC Mary Kom.