Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu Eye IOA Athletes Commission Seats in 2026-2030 Term

Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu are among 12 prominent sportspersons contesting for 10 positions on the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) Athletes Commission for the 2026-2030 term, with elections scheduled for November 3.

The contest will determine five male and five female members of the commission, which represents athletes’ interests within India’s Olympic administration. The outgoing commission is headed by celebrated boxer MC Mary Kom, with Sindhu, Chanu and fencer Bhavani Devi also serving as members.

The other candidates include men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, women’s hockey captain Salima Tete, shooter Swapnil Kusale, former archer Bombayla Devi, badminton player Kidambi Srikanth, swimmer Sajan Prakash, athletes Sudha Singh and Tajinderpal Singh, and Manjeet Singh from kayaking and canoeing.

The election will be conducted among 34 eligible athlete representatives drawn from 17 National Sports Federations (NSFs), with two representatives from each federation. However, the electoral college does not include representatives from the All India Football Federation, All India Tennis Association, Boxing Federation of India and Table Tennis Federation of India.

Under the IOA’s Athletes Commission Rules, ratified in September, only federations that have established their own athletes’ commissions can appoint representatives to the electoral college. The football and tennis federations do not have elected athletes’ commissions, while the Boxing Federation of India is not recognised by either the IOA or the Union Sports Ministry.

The commission’s composition will also have to meet specific eligibility requirements. Six members—three men and three women—must have participated in at least one of the last three editions of the Olympic Games. The remaining four, comprising two men and two women, must have won at least one medal at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships or World Cups, or the National Games, within the stipulated eligibility framework.

Two commission members, one male and one female, will also join the IOA Executive Council, giving the body a direct role in the association’s decision-making.

Meanwhile, the IOA’s separate electoral process for eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) is also gathering pace. The final list of 80 eligible SOMs, equally divided between men and women, is scheduled for publication on October 24. Nominations will be accepted from October 27 to 30, with the final list of candidates due on November 5 and polling on November 9.

The eight elected SOMs will participate in the IOA Executive Council elections on December 5. Their votes could prove significant in the contest for the president’s post, with incumbent PT Usha having entered the 2022 IOA elections as a Sportsperson of Merit.