Three days before the deadline, instructions were issued for IOA nominations to SOM

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has started its election process for 2026 under the Sports National Governance Act 2025, with the Athletes’ Commission elections scheduled for November 3 and the Executive Council polls for December 5. NEW DELHI: The Electoral Officer (Returning Officer) of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Sanjay K. Srivastava, has issued guidelines for the election of Athletes of Exceptional Merit (SOM), warning that nominations that do not fulfill the prescribed conditions will not be considered valid.In a document dated October 26, retired IAS officer Srivastava clarified the nomination process and issued a revised Form 2 for candidates seeking election as SOM to the IOA General Assembly. The deadline remains October 30.The revised guidelines place particular emphasis on the role of proposers and allottees, who must be members of the male or female SOM list published by the electoral officer on 23 October.An individual may nominate or endorse one candidate in the male category and one candidate in the female category. However, if the same person endorses more than one candidate in any category, the later nomination will be rejected. The instructions also state that the proposer or allottee cannot withdraw his name after delivery of the nomination.The rules allow for cross-gender endorsement: a male SOM can propose or endorse a female candidate, and a female SOM can do the same for a male candidate. The restriction refers to the endorsement of multiple candidates within the same category, not the gender of the nominated candidate.Eight representatives will join the IOA General Assembly

PT Usha

The election of the SOM will appoint eight representatives to the IOA General Assembly, which will include four men and four women. According to the 2026 IOA Athletes for Exceptional Merit rules, one male and one female representative will subsequently be elected to the IOA Executive Board out of eight.The SOM framework is designed to incorporate the experiences of former elite athletes, including current president PT Usha, into the governance of Indian sports. Applicants must meet the prescribed eligibility conditions, including Indian citizenship, be of sound mind, between the ages of 25 and 70 years as on the date of application and must have been active in sports for at least one year prior to application. They must also represent India in an Olympic sport for which the respective National Sports Association or Sports Authority is a member of the IOA.The next stages of the process will include the review of nominations, disposal of objections and publication of the final list of competing candidates. Voting is scheduled for November 9 and will be conducted virtually, detailed instructions will be issued separately.