PT Usha lost IOA SOM election; Anju Bobby George, Rani Rampal, among the four, came through in a six-way race

NEW DELHI: Ruling Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief PT Usha lost the crucial Sportsmen of Exceptional Merit (SOM) election on Monday. As a result, she would be ineligible to contest for a second term at the top of Indian sports. Saina Nehwal, Rani Rampal, Anju Bobby George and Dola Banerjee were chosen as the four women.PT Usha and Anitha Paul Durai were two former sportspersons who participated in online elections but did not find enough support.Former athlete Anju Bobby George (53) collected the most votes in the hexaathlon ahead of former hockey captain Rani Rampal (50), former archer Dola Banerjee (45) and former shuttler Saina Nehwal (43). PT Usha (40) and Durai (6) were out.These four were selected by 80 of their peers who initially expressed interest in participating in the IOA SOM elections. The elections took place virtually on the online platform right2vote.Earlier, the process for IOA SOM among men went through with Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh, Yogeshwar Dutt and Kamlesh Mehta being elected unopposed.All will now be eligible to participate in the IOA elections scheduled for December 5 for the presidency.Defeated in the IOA SOM elections, PT Usha is one class away from winning a second term as president of the Olympic body. Another way exists if she is nominated to the General Assembly by the National Sports Federation (NSF), which is unlikely.On the eve of the crucial election and the result, PT Usha filed a complaint with Returning Officer (RO) Sanjay K Srivastava alleging that Dola Banerjee had violated the model code of conduct by sending out a WhatsApp message asking for votes.In her complaint, Usha objected to a WhatsApp message sent through an account bearing Banerjee’s name, seeking support for the “New Bharat Panel” and specifically asking voters to elect four named candidates, along with their roll numbers and name numbers.Usha cited Article 1.9 of the model code of conduct issued on October 30, which states that promoting a candidate excludes any form of publicity, including the use of new media or social networks.She argued that spreading the message amounted to targeted vote-getting through social media and appeared to fall within the scope of the clause.The complaint also referred to Articles 1.2 and 1.3, which require candidates to conduct their campaigns with honesty, dignity and moderation and show due respect to other candidates.Usha urged the election authorities to investigate the message, find out the circumstances under which it was created and circulated and seek an explanation from those concerned.Apart from instructions to ensure a level playing field for all candidates, it also sought appropriate action as per applicable election rules if violations are found.As a result, the election officer reiterated the model code of conduct before the vote registration from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday.

Mass selections are thwarted by IOA athletes’ commissions, SOM elections

There was a mass withdrawal before six women passed the election and four men passed unopposed. As many as 13 former athletes – eight men and five women – have signed off, raising alarm.Similar to the 2022 elections, government involvement was also observed this time. Ex-wrestler Dutt and ex-boxer Vijender are BJP leaders, while former shooter Narang recently shifted base to Ahmedabad. Former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta is also seen close to the government. Among women, Nehwal, who is considered a strong contender for the top IOA post, joined the BJP in 2020.Prior to the IOA SOM elections, a process for the Athletes’ Commission took place without the need for 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 in the panel. Subsequently, Sindhu was appointed as Chairman and Harmanpreet as Vice-Chairman and found a seat on the IOA Executive Board. Meanwhile, Chanu and Sajan Prakash have been elected as athlete representatives to the IOA General Body and will be entitled to vote in the IOA elections on December 5.