27 former athletes, including PT Usha, Saina Nehwal enter race for crucial IOA election

The race for the crucial IAO election heats up with a star-studded lineup. A constellation of India’s sporting legends, including current Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha and Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Vijender Singh, has entered the race for eight key Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) positions. The draft list of 27 candidates, 15 men and 12 women, was released by Returning Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, setting the stage for a virtual election on 9 November that will crucially influence the IOA’s future leadership.

27 former athletes, including PT Usha and Saina Nehwal, enter race for crucial IOA election

The eight successful candidates, which include four men and four women, will join the IOA General Assembly and gain voting rights for the Executive Council elections scheduled for 5 December. From among those eight, one male and one female SOM will also be elected to the Executive Council itself. The process underscores the growing role of former elite athletes in the governance of Indian Olympic sport.

Eighty existing SOMs, 40 men and 40 women, will cast their votes in the virtual poll. Scrutiny of nominations is due on 3 November, with the final list of candidates expected around 5-7 November and withdrawals permitted until 7 November. Separate instructions on the voting procedure will be issued by the electoral officer. The men’s field features several Olympic medallists. 

Shooter Gagan Narang, a London 2012 bronze medallist and current IOA vice-president, is among the high-profile contenders. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, a London 2012 bronze winner, boxer Vijender Singh, a Beijing 2008 bronze winner, and hockey player Surinder Singh Shokar, a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold-winning team, have also filed nominations. Other notable names include World Athletics vice-president and former Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla, hockey great Sardar Singh, table tennis stalwart Achanta Sharath Kamal, and shooters Ronjan Sodhi, Mansher Singh and Moraad Ali Khan.

PT Usha and Saina Nehwal head a strong list

On the women’s side, PT Usha, who rose from the SOM ranks to the IOA presidency in 2022, heads a strong list that includes badminton star Saina Nehwal, a London 2012 bronze medalist, long jumper Anju Bobby George, a 2003 World Championships bronze medalist, former women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal, and archers Dola Banerjee and Chekrovolu Swuro. Other candidates include former sprinter Ashwini Nachappa, badminton player Trupti Murgunde, and athletes from weightlifting, canoeing, basketball and other disciplines. Interestingly, 2008 Beijing shooting gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, who remains on the broader SOM roster, has not filed a nomination this time. 

Several candidates have attracted attention for the networks of proposers and seconders supporting them, reflecting the political undercurrents that often accompany sports administration elections in India. The SOM election forms a critical early step in the IOA’s electoral cycle. Under the association’s constitution and the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit Rules 2026, the elected eight gain immediate membership of the General Assembly. This gives them a direct say in choosing the next Executive Council, whose term begins after the current one ends in mid-December. The arrangement is designed to ensure that the voices of former high-achieving athletes are represented at the highest levels of decision-making. 

Athletics continues to enjoy strong representation across both the broader SOM roster and the nomination list, potentially giving athletes from that discipline a numerical advantage in the voting. The process has also seen the exclusion of athletes from non-Olympic sports and those with doping records, following earlier scrutiny of the 80-member electoral college. Observers note that the outcome on 9 November could shape not only the composition of the General Assembly but also the contest for the IOA presidency and other key posts. 

PT Usha’s decision to seek a fresh mandate as an SOM keeps open the possibility of her continuing influence, while other Olympic medallists bring both sporting credibility and administrative experience. As the deadline for the final candidate list approaches, the focus remains on ensuring a transparent process under the oversight of the retired IAS officer serving as Returning Officer. The 9 November virtual election will determine which of these sporting greats move from the field of play into the corridors of Olympic governance in India.

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