IOA polls: PT Usha's ice hockey credentials traced to Kerala unit | TOI Exclusive

PT Usha (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The mystery surrounding Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha’s nomination as the women’s representative of the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) for the IOA elections has taken an intriguing twist.

TOI has reliably learnt that Usha was elected vice-president of the Kerala unit of the IHAI in Dec 2023, a little-known association that could now prove crucial to her bid to return as IOA president.Ever since Usha’s name featured in the provisional electoral college for the Dec 5 IOA Executive Council (EC) elections, questions had been raised over how she could represent a sport with which she had no apparent administrative association.

Her nomination had attracted considerable attention, particularly after she finished fifth in the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections on Nov 9, missing out on a place in the General Assembly.Usha was formally inducted as a member of the Ice Hockey Association (Kerala) on July 12, 2023, before being elected vice-president of the state unit in Dec that year. Her current tenure runs from Dec 2023 to 2027.

The Kerala unit itself was formed in 2015 and was formally granted affiliation by the IHAI on April 1, 2016, as a recognised state unit.Usha’s induction and subsequent election to an office-bearing position provide a significant explanation for her nomination as the federation's female representative, with IHAI secretary general Harjinder Singh named as its male representative.Usha’s association with the state unit also appears to have extended beyond her formal designation.

TOI has learnt that, after she became vice-president, a training camp for athletes from the southern region was organised by the IHAI at the recreational skating rink in Kochi’s Lulu Mall, on her advice. The camp was subsequently shifted to Karnataka after the Kochi rink went under renovation.The Kerala unit is among the registered state units of the IHAI, which has a presence across several parts of the country. These include Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Telangana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, among others.It’s been further learnt that the IHAI faction headed by president Gurpreet Singh Bakshi and secretary general Harjinder submitted a duly notarised affidavit to electoral officer Sanjay K Srivastava on Saturday, placing Usha's Kerala unit membership and elected VP position on record. The affidavit was acknowledged by the election officer.The submission followed a detailed representation by the faction after the electoral officer forwarded objections received against the two nominations.

In its response, IHAI cited an Aug 17, 2026, letter from IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer, which identified Bakshi as its president and Harjinder as secretary general, and confirmed the federation as India's recognised national governing body for ice hockey. It also cited a Sept 23 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) letter confirming IHAI’s good standing.With the affidavit now submitted, Usha’s nomination has a fresh documentary basis to be examined.

The decision, however, rests with Srivastava when the final electoral roll will be published on Sunday evening.

Sheth’s handball entry raises questions

Another contentious nomination is that of Udit Sheth, whose entry as a Handball Federation of India (HFI) representative has drawn scrutiny. Sheth was previously president of Yogasana Bharat, whose recognition was quashed by the Delhi high court over non-compliance with the national sports code's three-year registration requirement.

The Handball Association India (HAI), which claims recognition from international, Asian and Commonwealth bodies, has challenged HFI’s nominations, including Sheth’s, alleging that HFI lacks the requisite international affiliation. HAI has questioned why its own representatives were excluded. Sheth's Gujarat connections and his role as founder and chairman of TransStadia University in Ahmedabad have also become talking points among administrators tracking the polls.