Indian Olympic Association Sets Election Date As PT Usha Era Nears Key Turning Point

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday announced that it will elect its new Executive Council on December 5, five days before the current committee's term ends, and kicked off the process by appointing Sanjay Kumar Srivastava as the Returning Officer to oversee the polls. Srivastava is a former Election Commissioner of Delhi and Chandigarh. The IOA said the electoral process would be conducted in accordance with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026, the amended IOA Constitution, and the applicable IOA Election Bye-Laws and Rules.

It added that the Returning Officer would oversee elections to the Athletes' Commission, the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) category and the IOA Executive Council.

"The IOA has appointed Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, IAS (Retd.), former Election Commissioner, Delhi and Chandigarh, as the Electoral Officer/Returning Officer for the 2026 elections. He will conduct, monitor and supervise the elections relating to the Athletes' Commission, Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs), and the IOA Executive Council," the IOA said in a statement.

The Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit process began on September 18 with the publication of application forms for inclusion in the roster.

Eligible applicants can submit their applications and supporting documents by October 18, after which the roster will be prepared in line with the eligibility and tier criteria under the National Sports Governance framework, the IOA said.

The Electoral Officer has also notified elections to the IOA Athletes' Commission for the 2026-2030 term, with polling, counting and declaration of results scheduled for November 3.

"Eligible NSF members are required to nominate two athlete representatives through their duly constituted Athletes' Commissions, with nominations due by 2:00 PM on October 11, 2026. The Commission will comprise 10 elected athletes -- five men and five women -- with the Rules providing for specific representation of Olympic-category athletes and athletes with achievements at major competitions," the IOA said.

The process will culminate in the IOA Executive Council elections on December 5.

IOA president PT Usha described the move as a milestone in the organisation's efforts to strengthen good governance.

"The 2026 elections mark an important milestone in strengthening good governance, transparency and accountability within the Indian Olympic Movement. Our objective is to build strong, credible and athlete-centric institutions, fully aligned with the Olympic Charter and the national sports governance framework," Usha was quoted as saying in a press release.

"The appointment of an experienced former Election Commissioner as Electoral Officer/Returning Officer underlines our commitment to an independent, transparent and credible electoral process. The IOA will provide all necessary support while fully respecting the independence of the electoral process," she added.

Usha took charge as IOA president on December 10, 2022, after being elected unopposed in New Delhi, becoming the first woman in the organisation's history to head the national Olympic body.

With India aspiring to host the 2036 Olympic Games, she stressed that strong governance and an athlete-centric approach would remain central to the IOA's Olympic journey.

India is among seven interested parties in dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad. The others are Germany, Hungary, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Turkey.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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