PT Usha’s bid for IOA election clears major hurdle

New Delhi: The Electoral Officer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has accepted the nomination of IOA president PT Usha to the electoral college for its elections, rejecting objections to her inclusion. After failing to get elected as one of the four female Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs), Usha was nominated to the General Body by IHAI on Thursday as one of its two representatives to keep her re-election bid alive.

The objections, received on Friday against the provisional electoral college, questioned the eligibility of Usha, listed as an IHAI member. A faction of the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) claimed that track legend Usha was not a member of the national federation and thus could not represent it in the IOA's General Body.

The Electoral Officer called a personal hearing on November 14, seeking a response from the IHAI and its representatives, which confirmed that Usha was an active member of the association.

During the proceedings, the IOA was asked to clarify if an individual associated with a particular sport could be a member only of the corresponding National Sports Federation (NSF) or could also opt for membership of another NSF. IOA clarified that membership in another NSF does not, by itself, automatically disqualify an individual.

According to the Assistant RO's decision, neither the IOA Constitution nor the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, and its related rules provided clarity or a distinguishing provision on the issue. Article 10.4 of the IOA Constitution, ratified in September this year, states that "the representatives nominated by each unit (NSF) must be members of such units (NSFs)".

After examining the issue, the Electoral Officer rejected the objections and accepted the nomination. The Electoral Officer will publish the final Electoral roll on Sunday evening.