Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt, as well as former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta, were on Saturday elected unopposed as four male Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) after eight former athletes withdrew their candidature, ahead of Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) December 5 polls.
Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava said that there was no need for the election to be held on Monday for the fours male SOMs, as only four are left in the fray after the deadline of withdrawal of candidature, which was set at 2 pm on Saturday. But the election for the four female SOMs will be held on Monday on virtual mode, as six candidates remained in the fray after the withdrawal by five former athletes. Incumbent IOA chief PT Usha, Olympic medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal, World Athletics Championships bronze winner long jumper Anju Bobby George, former archer Dola Banerjee, former Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal and former basketball player Anitha Paul Durai were left in the fray. The election for the eight SOMs -- four male and four female -- assumes significance as some of the contenders to become Executive Council members, including for the top post of IOA president, are in the fray for the eight seats.
The elected eight SOMs will become members of the IOA General Assembly, making them eligible to vote as well as stand as candidates in the December 5 polls of the new IOA Executive Council.
In 2022, Usha was elected as IOA president after becoming a SOM. Two SOMs -- one man and one woman -- will also become members of the IOA Executive Council.
Dutt and Banerjee were in the outgoing executive council after being chosen as SOMs before the 2022 IOA elections.
Former National Convener of Clean Sports India BVP Rao claimed that some of the former athletes have withdrawn their candidature under pressure from the Sports Ministry. A Sports Ministry source, however, rejected Rao’s allegations as baseless, saying it has no role in the IOA elections. “... these ex-champions withdrew their nominations just because of one phone call from the Ministry of Sports. They should know this right is granted under law, and they should exercise their franchise without fear,” Rao said in a statement. “Thankfully, there will be a contest in the SOM Women Category, because a few gutsy women did not succumb to the pressure and have not withdrawn from the election,” he added.
Rejecting Rao’s claims, a Sports Ministry source told PTI: “Elections in the IOA are held independently, in which the Sports Ministry has no role and neither has it ever interfered. The allegations are baseless.”
The eight male former athletes who have withdrawn their candidatures are World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla, table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal, former shuttler B Sai Praneeth, former weightlifter Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, 1980 Olympics hockey gold winner Surinder Singh Shokar and former shooters Ronjan Sodhi, Mansher Singh and Moraad Ali Khan.