PT Usha hit an electoral wall on Monday. In a stinging setback inside the corridors of the Indian Olympic Association, the track legend and sitting IOA chief managed just 40 votes in the women's Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit election. She finished fifth. With only four seats on offer, the arithmetic proved merciless.
Long jumper Anju Bobby George topped the field with 53 votes. Former women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal swept up 50. Former archer Dola Banerjee pulled 45, while Olympic badminton bronze medallist Saina Nehwal locked in 43 to grab the fourth and final ticket into the IOA General Assembly. Behind them, Usha slipped out of contention, edging out only former basketball player Anitha Pauldurai, who tallied six.
It is the sharpest political blow Usha has endured since taking the reins of the apex body unopposed on December 10, 2022. That historic victory made her the first woman to lead the IOA. Back then, the merit quota served as her launchpad. Now, that launchpad has cracked.
While the women's race triggered a dogfight, the men's wing saw no resistance. Four male sports icons walked into the General Assembly completely unopposed—Olympic shooting medallist Gagan Narang, Olympic wrestling medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, Olympic boxing medallist Vijender Singh, and veteran table tennis champion Kamlesh Mehta.
Together, these eight elected sportspersons will join the IOA General Assembly. They carry voting power into the critical December 5 Executive Council elections, which will decide the leadership of Indian Olympic sports for the next four-year cycle. Two of them—one man and one woman—will also sit directly on the Executive Council.
| Candidate | Sport Discipline | Votes Tallied | Electoral Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anju Bobby George | Athletics (Long Jump) | 53 | Elected (Rank 1) |
| Rani Rampal | Hockey | 50 | Elected (Rank 2) |
| Dola Banerjee | Archery | 45 | Elected (Rank 3) |
| Saina Nehwal | Badminton | 43 | Elected (Rank 4) |
| PT Usha | Athletics (Sprint/Hurdles) | 40 |
Usha's loss strips away the statutory vehicle she rode to power two years ago. Yet it does not slam the door entirely shut on her presidency.
The IOA Constitution, ratified on September 8, does not restrict General Assembly membership solely to merit athletes. It draws members from multiple pipelines—including IOC members, the Athletes Commission, and representatives from National Sports Federations.
Under the official election notification published on November 9, 30 eligible National Sports Federations hold entry tickets to the electoral college. Each federation holds the authority to nominate two delegates—one male and one female. Each representative wields one vote in the Executive Council ballot.
That clause gives Usha an escape route. If an affiliated federation nominates her as its official female representative, she walks back onto the voting floor. The Athletics Federation of India stands as the most natural sponsor given her life's work on the track. But natural connections do not guarantee paperwork.
Federation nominations carry rigid legal hurdles. Under election rules, a delegate must be an active member of that specific federation, an Indian citizen, below 70 years of age, and in good standing. Nominations must also arrive with full federation authorization before the cut-off date.
Under the revised IOA charter, eligibility rules for the offices of President and Treasurer are stringent. A candidate must either be an elected Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit or have completed at least one full term on the IOA Executive Council, or as president, secretary general, or treasurer of an affiliated unit.
Usha took office in December 2022. Her current administration has run for barely two years. If the Electoral Officer rules that her ongoing tenure fails the "completed full term" threshold, an ordinary assembly seat from an NSF will not save her candidacy.
And the clock is ticking down fast. With the IOA charter enforcing a strict four-year term, a three-term ceiling, and mandatory cooling-off provisions, the legal interpretation of Usha's current service will dictate whether she can contest at all. The battle now shifts from the ballot boxes of the merit panel to the desk of the IOA Electoral Officer, with the final candidate lists due before the December 5 showdown.
| Defeated (Rank 5) |
| Anitha Pauldurai | Basketball | 6 | Defeated (Rank 6) |