PT Usha Loses IOA Sportsperson of Merit Vote While Saina Nehwal and Anju Bobby George Win

Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha lost her bid to get elected as a Sportsperson of Merit on Monday. Former player Saina Nehwal secured a spot as one of the four women Sportspersons of Merit from a group of six candidates in a contested election. Anju Bobby George, Dola Banerjee, and Rani Rampal also won election to these positions. Eighty total voters consisting of 40 men and 40 women make up the electoral body for these four female seats.

Election Results

Earlier on Saturday, Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Kamlesh Mehta won their seats unopposed as male Sportspersons of Merit after eight other candidates pulled out of the race. Usha can only run in the upcoming IOA Executive Council elections on December 5 if a National Sports Federation nominates her to the General Assembly, though this outcome remains unlikely. She is also not expected to secure one of the two spots given to the Athletics Federation of India. The IOA rules require any candidate running for president to hold status as a Sportsperson of Merit or be a member of the General Assembly. Usha previously won election unopposed as the first female president of the IOA in 2022 through the Sportsperson of Merit path.

Complaints Filed

Elected members gain seats in the IOA General Assembly, allowing them to vote and run in the December 5 Executive Council elections. Two of these members will additionally join the IOA Executive Council. The election process faced controversy when Usha filed a formal complaint with Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, stating that Dola Banerjee broke the Model Code of Conduct by sending a WhatsApp message to ask for votes. Usha pointed out that a message sent from an account using Banerjee's name asked for backing for the 'New Bharat Panel' while listing specific candidates along with their ballot and roll numbers. Weightlifter Sathish Sivalingam filed a separate complaint to the same electoral officer, claiming that an organized attempt was taking place to sway voters to support a candidate who also serves as the IOA President, adding that IOA resources were being used for this goal without directly naming Usha.

Context

The Indian Olympic Association serves as the primary body responsible for managing the country's participation in the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. Elections within national sports bodies often involve intense competition among former athletes for administrative control and voting power in leadership councils.