Usha Nominated by Ice Hockey Federation to IOA Polls
· Sports · Indian Express, NDTV Sports, Times of India
Former sprint queen P T Usha was nominated to the IOA General Assembly by the Ice Hockey Federation of India after failing to secure a place among the eight sportspersons of merit elected three days prior, with Anju Bobby George leading early voting with 53 votes, followed by Rani Rampal (50), Dola Banerjee (45), and Saina Nehwal (43). Usha finished fifth with 40 votes in Monday's poll conducted by 80 current Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) in New Delhi, with Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Saina Nehwal, Vijender Singh, and Yogeshwar Dutt also potentially contesting the president's post. The re-election bid faces uncertainty as the voting process remains mired in allegations of external pressure and transparency concerns, with nine IOA office-bearer posts and executive council positions up for election under the IOA Constitution requiring candidates to be either elected by SOMs or nominated by a National Sports Federation.
Why it matters
Usha's contested re-election as IOA president directly impacts the governance and transparency of India's primary Olympic body, affecting athlete representation and election credibility for all sports federations. The involvement of multiple Olympic medallists signals deepening divisions within the sports community over electoral processes.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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