PT Usha keeps IOA re-election hopes alive with Ice Hockey Association nomination

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha has kept her hopes of securing a second term alive after being nominated by the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) as one of its representatives to the IOA General Body. The development comes just days after she failed to secure a position in the Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) elections.

Usha, one of India’s most celebrated track and field athletes, has been nominated as the female representative of the national ice hockey federation. IHAI secretary Harjinder Singh has been selected as its male representative. The nomination keeps Usha in the process ahead of the IOA Executive Council elections scheduled for December 5.

PT Usha’s IOA Re-Election Hopes Remain Alive

The nomination gives PT Usha another route to remain eligible for the upcoming IOA elections. Although she recently lost the Sportspersons of Merit polls, her selection as an IHAI representative places her among the proposed members of the IOA General Body.

Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava had asked each of the 30 National Sports Federations (NSFs) entitled to vote in the IOA elections to nominate two representatives: one male and one female. The deadline for submitting the nominations was Thursday at 3 pm.

However, Usha’s nomination could face scrutiny because the electoral officer’s notification includes a specific eligibility condition. It states that every nominated representative must be a member of the concerned National Sports Federation.

Since Usha is primarily known for her achievements in athletics, questions remain over whether she fulfils the membership requirement of the Ice Hockey Association of India. Her nomination will therefore need to be considered during the verification process before the final electoral roll is published.

IOA Election Rules and Eligibility Requirements

The notification issued by the electoral officer on Monday outlined the conditions that nominated representatives must satisfy to become part of the IOA General Body.

“Each representative shall be a member of the concerned NSF Member, a citizen of India, less than 70 years of age, a person of good standing, sound judgment and independent mind with knowledge of and belief in Olympic principles.”

The membership requirement is particularly relevant to Usha’s nomination. While the IHAI has selected her as its female representative, the electoral authorities must determine whether her nomination meets all the conditions laid down in the election notification.

The process will move forward through a series of verification stages. Objections to the provisional electoral college are scheduled to be submitted on Friday. Scrutiny, verification and disposal of those objections will take place on Saturday, followed by publication of the final electoral roll on Sunday.

Who Will Form the IOA Electoral College?

The electoral college for the IOA Executive Council elections will consist of 71 members. This group will include 60 representatives nominated by the National Sports Federations, eight Sportspersons of Merit representatives who have already been elected, two members selected from the Athletes’ Commission and the International Olympic Committee member in India.

The electoral college will play a central role in deciding the composition of the new IOA Executive Council, with voting scheduled for December 5.

Importantly, the eight elected SOMs and all 60 representatives nominated by the NSFs will also be eligible to contest for positions on the new Executive Council, subject to the applicable election rules.

Prominent Sports Administrators Nominated by National Federations

Several well-known sports administrators and representatives from different sporting bodies have been nominated to the IOA General Body. The list includes prominent names from Indian athletics, fencing, rugby, archery, football and other sports.

• Adille Sumariwalla – Athletics
• Rajeev Mehta – Fencing
• Rahul Bose – Rugby
• Virender Sachdeva – Archery
• Kalyan Chaubey – Football
• Sahdev Yadav – Weightlifting
• Ajay Patel – Shooting
• Sanjay Singh – Wrestling
• Bhupinder Singh Bajwa – Wushu
• Bhola Nath Singh – Hockey

At least seven members of the outgoing IOA Executive Council have also been nominated by their respective federations. Their inclusion could be significant as the election process moves towards the formation of the next leadership team.

Adille Sumariwalla, Gagan Narang and Saina Nehwal Among Potential Contenders

Attention is also turning towards the possible candidates for the top position in the Indian Olympic Association. Adille Sumariwalla is being discussed as one of the contenders, alongside Sportspersons of Merit representatives Gagan Narang and Saina Nehwal.

The nominations and final electoral roll will help determine who can participate in the election process. With several established sports administrators and former athletes involved, the December 5 vote is expected to be an important moment for the organisation’s leadership.

For PT Usha, the IHAI nomination has kept her re-election possibilities open for now. However, the question of whether she meets the federation membership requirement remains unresolved in the information provided, making the upcoming scrutiny process particularly important.

Conclusion

PT Usha’s nomination by the Ice Hockey Association of India has given her another opportunity to remain part of the IOA election process after her defeat in the Sportspersons of Merit polls. Her eligibility, however, will depend on whether the nomination satisfies the conditions set by the electoral officer.

As the IOA prepares for its December 5 Executive Council elections, the publication of the final electoral roll will be a key step. The outcome of the scrutiny process will clarify whether Usha can formally continue her bid for a second term as IOA president.