IOA incumbent president PT Usha wasn’t elected for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (female) on Monday.

Athletics legend and IOA incumbent president PT Usha might have won several close races during her brilliant sports career, but on Monday she lost a tactical battle to win one of the four berths in fray for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (female) category in the build up to the IOA (Indian Olympic Association) on December 5 elections. Interestingly, all four candidates for the male SOM category were elected unopposed.

Sanjay Kumar Srivastava (Retd IAS), Returning Officer for IOA Elections 2026 announced the results of both male and female SOM categories on Monday.

Former Indian hockey skipper and Olympian Rani Rampal, Olympic bronze medallist in badminton Saina Nehwal, Olympian (archery) Dola Banerjee, Olympian and World bronze medallist in athletics Anju Bobby George were elected in female SOM category.

PT Usha and former international basketball player Anitha Durai failed to find a place in the top four.

Interestingly, there was no contest in the male SOM category as there were only four candidates for four available spots because several players pulled out of the race for reasons best known to them.

Four candidates elected in the male SOM category were Olympic bronze medallist in boxing Vijender Singh, Olympic bronze medallist in shooting Gagan Narang, Olympic bronze medallist in freestyle wrestling Yogeshar Dutt and former international table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta.

Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist in badminton PV Sindhu has been elected chairperson of IOA Athletes’ Commission. Indian men’s hockey skipper Harmanpreet Singh has been named vice-chairperson.

EOM