Neeru, Sindhu among the 34-member IOA shortlist for the Sports Commission polls

Asian Games gold medalist Neeru Dhanda, badminton star PV Sindhu, Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu and India’s men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh are among the prominent athletes selected by their respective National Sports Federations (NSFs) for the electoral college to select the members of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes’ Commission on November 3.

IOA-appointed Election Officer Sanjay K Srivastava released the list of 34 representative athletes on Friday. The Electoral College consists of two candidates, each from 17 NSFs. However, four national federations – All India Football Federation (AIFF), All India Tennis Association (AITA), Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) do not have representatives on the list.

Sindhu and Mirabai were part of the outgoing athletes’ committee. Meanwhile, the new nominations mean celebrated boxer Mary Kom, the current chairperson, and vice-chairman Achanta Sharath Kamal, one of India’s leading table tennis players, will not be part of the commission for the 2026-2030 term.

According to Article 10.3 of the IOA Athletes’ Commission Rules, ratified in September, each participating NSF member may nominate two representatives – one male and one female – through their Athletes’ Commission. Nominees must be athletes representing a sport with a federation affiliated to the IOA.

“Only those NSF members who have established an athlete commission may appoint their athlete representatives through their respective athlete commissions.”

The AIFF does not have an elected Sportsmen’s Commission, while the BFI does not recognize either the IOA or the Sports Ministry. These are one of the reasons why the two federations have no candidates in the electoral college.

Dhanda and Swapnil Kushare were selected to represent shooting, while the Weightlifting Federation of India nominated Mirabai and the Wrestling Federation of India selected Aman Sehrawat.

Hockey India named men’s captain Harmanpreet and women’s team captain Salima Tete. The Badminton Association of India nominated K Srikanth and Sindhu, while the Fencing Association of India selected Bhavani Devi.

Sudha Singh and Tajinderpal Singh Toor will represent the Athletics Federation of India.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR ATHLETE COMMISSION POLLS

The 34 representatives in the Electoral College will elect 10 members – five men and five women – to the IOA Athletes’ Commission for the period 2026-2030.

Athletes who want to run in the elections must submit their nomination papers by 5 p.m. on October 21.

Article 10.1 of the IOA Athletes’ Commission Rules states: “The members of the Athletes’ Commission (IOA) shall elect and from among themselves a group of authorized athlete representatives who shall constitute the electoral college for such elections established in accordance with these Rules.”

Article 10.4 further specifies the procedure for candidates: “Any eligible athlete representative from this group seeking election as a Member of the Athletes Commission (IOA) shall submit an application through the appropriate NSF member in a format prescribed by the Election Officer.”

Candidates must be Indian citizens and at least 18 years of age on the date of nomination. He must also have no history of sanctions for violations of the World Anti-Doping Code, the 2022 National Anti-Doping Act or any applicable integrity regulations.

Additionally, candidates must never have faced sanctions for violating the IOA Constitution, its Bylaws, or its rules and regulations.

Ahead of the November 3 election, the IOA asked the NSF to nominate two athlete representatives through its duly constituted athlete committees by October 11 at 2:00 p.m. The date was announced along with the appointment of the returning officer for the National Olympic Body Executive Board elections on 5 December.

OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE, MAJOR MEDALS AMONG ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The composition of the 10-member committee of athletes will be governed by specific requirements for sports ability. At least six elected members – three men and three women – must have participated in one of the last three years of the Olympic Games at the time of their election.

The remaining four positions, comprising two men and two women, are reserved for athletes who have won at least one medal in any of the last three Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships/Cup or National Games.

Two members of the Athletes’ Commission – one male and one female – will also be included in the IOA’s Executive Board.

Trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, who was elected to the Olympic Council of Asia Athletes Commission during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, will join the IOA Athletes Commission as an ex-officio voting member.

The Commission will also play a role in determining the composition of the IOA General Assembly. It will select eight Athletes of Merit (SOM), consisting of four men and four women, who will become members of the General Assembly and participate in the election of the new Executive Board.

Of these eight SOMs, two, one male and one female, will subsequently be elected to the IOA Executive Board.

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