I was asked to withdraw: Ashwini Nachappa alleges after pulling out of IOA SOM election

Five female candidates, including Ashwini, withdrew from the SOM elections on November 7 after filing nomination papers for their candidature, two days before the elections, and six remained in the fray. | Photo Credit: K MURALI KUMAR

Former India sprinter Ashwini Nachappa on Wednesday claimed that she withdrew from contesting the Indian Olympic Association’s Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) elections under “external pressure”, and hinted that the polls lack transparency.

She did not provide any details regarding the source of the pressure and the manner in which she was asked to withdraw from the IOA SOM elections held virtually on Monday.

The 59-year-old Ashwini was one of the original 11 candidates for the four seats of female SOMs who would be eligible to vote and to stand as candidates in the IOA’s Executive Council polls on December 5.

“I was asked to pull out. All those who withdrew were asked to withdraw under external pressure. It wasn’t voluntary, I can say that much... that speaks volumes about transparency,” she told PTI.

“And that is so sad. For me, I think whatever it may be, you cannot demean an athlete of a stature. Winning or losing is immaterial,” she lamented.

“I thought things have changed, but I think things remain what it was 30 years back when I was competing.”

Ashwini competed in two Asian Games. She won 4x400m gold medals in the 1985, 1987 and 1991 Asian Championships. She won a silver medal each in the individual 200m and 4x100m relay in the 1989 Asian Championships.

The elections for the four female SOMs happened on Monday with six former athletes in the fray, despite the pulling out of five candidates, including Ashwini.

Asked why she did not stick on and fight the SOM elections, Ashwini said, “All of us attempt to bring changes (in Indian sports). I thought of giving some contribution to Indian sports. Fairness or fair play was what I expected.

“If the opportunity came and if there was fairness, I would have stayed on. But sadly the very ethics and values of Olympic sport has been erased completely, I though there was no point (fighting the SOM elections).”

Five female candidates, including her, withdrew from the SOM elections on November 7 after filing nomination papers for their candidature, two days before the elections, and six remained in the fray.

Incumbent IOA president PT Usha failed to get elected as one of the four female SOMs, finishing fifth, in the polls voted by 80 SOMs in the electoral roll.

Legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George (53 votes), former Indian women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal (50 votes), former archer Dola Banerjee (45 votes) and Olympics bronze winning shuttler Saina Nehwal (43 votes) were elected as the four female SOMs.

Eight male candidates also withdrew on November 7, leaving just four in the fray. All the four were declared elected unopposed for the four seats of male SOMs.

Ashwini lamented that even some sportspersons were partly responsible for the sorry state of affairs in the country.

“And sadly, even athletes were part of it. Though we talk about Olympism, there are no values or ethics of Olympism being followed by athletes also. Sadly.

“But when the very ethics and values of Olympic sport has been erased completely, sadly, even by our athletes, it’s an unfortunate state of affairs in the country. And this is what we are showing the youngsters of our country.”

‘Olympism” means “a life philosophy created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the 1890s that places sport at the service of harmonious human development and world peace.”

Ashwini said she will go back to running her institute in Karnataka.

“I have my own institution running. I have 900 students up to grade 12. I have enough work, my own work. If we all could get together as sports people to contribute to the larger good, I would have been willing to do it. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case still in Indian sports governance.”

Asked about Usha reportedly saying that the SOM election results were not fair, Ashwini said, “I’m sure she has some proof (on that).”

Controversy struck the IOA SOM election when Usha lodged a complaint with Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, alleging that former archer Dola Banerjee violated the Model Code of Conduct by circulating a WhatsApp message soliciting votes.

In her complaint, Usha objected to a WhatsApp message circulated through an account bearing Banerjee’s name, seeking support for the ‘New Bharat Panel’ and specifically asking voters to elect four named candidates, along with their ballot serial numbers and roll numbers.

Commonwealth Games gold-winning weightlifter Sathish Sivalingam also lodged a complaint to EO Srivastava that “an organised effort is underway to influence members of the Electoral Roll in favour of a contesting candidate who is also the President of the Indian Olympic Association”.

“... and that resources of the IOA are being used for this purpose,” Sivalingam, one of the 80 SOMs taking part in the voting, wrote to Srivastava without taking Usha’s name.

Published on Nov 11, 2026

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