IOA president PT Usha not selected to General Assembly as Sportsperson of Merit

Usha, who became the first woman to head the IOA when she was unanimously elected in December 2022, now faces an uphill task to remain in contention for a second term, with the next Executive Council elections scheduled for December 5.

Four women and four men have been elected as SOMs, with the women’s category going to a vote after six candidates remained in the fray. Former shuttler Saina Nehwal, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George, former archer Dola Banerjee and former women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal were elected.

Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt, along with former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta, were elected unopposed in the men’s category on Saturday.

Usha’s impending exit would mark the end of a tumultuous tenure, characterised by infighting and repeated confrontations within the IOA. She had also become the public face of India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, as well as the country’s preparation to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. Her failure to make the cut is therefore significant beyond the immediate leadership contest, although she retains an outside, if unlikely, chance of entering the December 5 election.

Under the IOA Constitution, a presidential candidate must be an SOM or a member of the General Assembly. Usha can still become eligible if a National Sports Federation nominates her to the General Assembly. However, she is not expected to be among the two representatives nominated by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), making that route difficult.

Anju topped the women’s voting with 53 votes, followed by Rani with 50, Dola with 45 and Saina with 43. Usha finished fifth with 40 votes, while former basketball player Anitha Paul Durai received six.

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All 80 existing SOMs — 40 men and 40 women — formed the electoral college, with all of them casting their votes in the virtual election conducted between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday. The elected eight will join the IOA General Assembly, with one male and one female SOM also set to secure places on the Executive Council.

The election was marked by allegations of campaign violations and attempts to influence voters. Usha lodged a complaint with Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, accusing Dola of violating the Model Code of Conduct by circulating a WhatsApp message seeking votes for the ‘New Bharat Panel’. The message allegedly named four candidates and urged voters to support them.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter Sathish Sivalingam also complained to the electoral officer about an alleged organised effort to influence voters in favour of a candidate who was also the IOA president, claiming that IOA resources were being used for the purpose. He did not name Usha.

The process had already drawn scrutiny after eight male candidates withdrew before Saturday’s deadline, leaving Narang, Vijender, Dutt and Mehta elected unopposed. Among the withdrawals were World Athletics vice-president Adille Sumariwalla, former table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal and former shuttler B Sai Praneeth. Five women also withdrew from the contest.