In a closely fought six-way contest, Anju Bobby George secured the highest votes, followed by Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal. PT Usha and Anitha Paul Durai failed to make the cut, while the men’s panel was elected unopposed.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI/ November 9: Incumbent Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha has lost the crucial Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections held on Monday. As a result, she is no longer eligible to contest for a second term as head of Indian sport.
Anju Bobby George, Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal were elected as the four women representatives.
PT Usha and Anitha Paul Durai were the two other former athletes who contested the online elections but failed to secure enough support.
In the six-way contest, former athlete Anju Bobby George (53 votes) finished first, followed by former hockey captain Rani Rampal (50), former archer Dola Banerjee (45) and former shuttler Saina Nehwal (43). PT Usha (40) and Anitha Paul Durai (6) were eliminated.
IOA Elections: Anju Bobby George, Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal elected SOMs in Indian Olympic Association. IOA president PT Usha, who was elected president through SOM route in 2022, fails to make it. #ioaelection https://t.co/f37BpMFF5k
— Avishek Roy (@tweet2avishek) November 9, 2026
The four winners were chosen by 80 of their peers who had earlier expressed interest in contesting the IOA SOM elections. The polls were conducted online on the right2vote platform.
Earlier, the men’s SOM elections concluded without a contest, with Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh, Yogeshwar Dutt and Kamlesh Mehta elected unopposed.
All eight elected SOMs are now eligible to contest the IOA elections scheduled for 5 December, including for the post of president.
With her defeat in the SOM elections, one route for PT Usha to seek a second term as IOA president has closed. The only remaining avenue would be nomination to the General Assembly by a National Sports Federation (NSF), which is considered unlikely.
On the eve of the elections, PT Usha had lodged a complaint with Electoral Officer Sanjay K. Srivastava, alleging that Dola Banerjee had violated the Model Code of Conduct by circulating a WhatsApp message soliciting votes.
In her complaint, Usha objected to a message sent from an account in Banerjee’s name that sought support for the “New Bharat Panel” and specifically asked voters to elect four named candidates, listing their ballot serial numbers and roll numbers.
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She cited Clause 1.9 of the Model Code of Conduct (issued on 30 October), which prohibits any form of publicity or promotion of a candidate, including through new media or social networks. Usha argued that the message amounted to targeted solicitation of votes via social media and fell within the scope of the clause.
She also referred to Clauses 1.2 and 1.3, which require candidates to campaign fairly, with dignity and moderation, and to show due respect to other candidates. Usha requested the election authorities to examine the communication, establish how it was created and circulated, seek an explanation from those involved, and take appropriate action under the election rules if a violation was found, in order to ensure a level playing field.
In response, the Electoral Officer reiterated the Model Code of Conduct before voting began. Voting took place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
Mass withdrawals earlier
Before the women’s election and the unopposed men’s election, there were mass withdrawals. As many as 13 former athletes — eight men and five women — pulled out, raising concerns.
Similar to the 2022 elections, government involvement has again been noted. Former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former boxer Vijender Singh are BJP leaders, while former shooter Gagan Narang recently shifted base to Ahmedabad. Former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta is also seen as close to the government. Among the women, Saina Nehwal, regarded as a strong contender for the top IOA post, joined the BJP in 2020.
Athletes Commission
Separately, the Athletes Commission process concluded without any voting. PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Harmanpreet Singh, Salima Tete, Swapnil Kusale, Bhavani Devi, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Bombayla Devi, Sajan Prakash and Manjeet Singh were named to the panel. Sindhu was appointed chairperson and Harmanpreet Singh vice-chairperson, both securing places on the IOA Executive Council. Chanu and Sajan Prakash were elected as athlete representatives to the IOA General Body and will have voting rights in the 5 December elections.
