Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha on Monday failed to secure election as one of the four female Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs), putting her bid for a second term as the national Olympic body’s chief in serious doubt.
Usha finished fifth among six candidates in the virtual polls, with only four positions available.
Olympic medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George, former archer Dola Banerjee and former Indian women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal secured the four elected positions.
The 62-year-old Usha can now contest the IOA presidential election scheduled for December 5 only if she is nominated to the General Assembly by a National Sports Federation (NSF).
However, that route also appears uncertain, as she is not expected to be among the two representatives nominated by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
Under the IOA Constitution, a presidential candidate must either be an elected SOM or a member of the General Assembly.
Usha was elected unopposed as the IOA’s first woman president in 2022 through the SOM route. Her failure to secure a place in Monday’s election could therefore bring her four-year association with the national Olympic body to an end.
A legendary track and field athlete, Usha narrowly missed an Olympic medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing fourth.
Her four-year tenure as IOA president has been marked by prolonged internal differences, with a majority of Executive Council members opposing her leadership for much of the period. However, the factions eventually reached a reconciliation ahead of India’s bids to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic Games.
