PT Usha Enters IOA Presidential Race via Ice Hockey Nomination Ahead of 2036 Bid

PT Usha is not walking away.

Days after rival factions wrote her administrative obituary, the legendary sprinter flipped the board in New Delhi, filing her nomination for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) presidency through the Ice Hockey Association of India. The move marks an extraordinary political counter-attack. Just 42 years after her heartbreaking fourth-place Olympic photo-finish in Los Angeles, India's most decorated track icon is fighting one of the bitterest turf wars of her career—this time inside the corridors of power.

She looked down and out last week. An alliance of four decorated former international athletes—world championships medallist Anju Bobby George, London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, former archer Dola Banerjee, and former hockey captain Rani Rampal—joined forces to thwart Usha in the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) election. Strategic last-minute withdrawals cleared the deck, and Usha tumbled to a stinging defeat that appeared to wipe out her voting eligibility.

Yet she discovered another route back to the ballot box.

By securing the backing of the winter sports body, Usha bypasses the SOM bottleneck entirely. Her entry sets up a direct collision against a rival bloc backed by key National Sports Federations (NSFs) and established sports administrators determined to unseat her.

The Revolt and the Letter to Lausanne

The SOM vote did not conclude quietly. In the immediate fallout, Usha fired off a detailed letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), formally raising red flags over administrative interference and the manner in which the ballot was orchestrated. Her complaint targeted actions by multiple members of the IOA executive committee, alleging outside manipulation from sections of the sports bureaucracy.

Opposition factions pushed back instantly, consolidating their delegate slates across traditional federations.

Sumariwalla, the long-time track boss who pulled out of the contentious SOM election, swiftly reclaimed his institutional footing as the official delegate for the Athletics Federation of India. Meanwhile, Hockey India pushed forward Bhola Nath Singh, and the All India Tennis Association entered Chintan Parekh. Noticeably absent from the updated roll was Rohit Rajpal, an active executive committee member whose exclusion signals deeper factional realignments behind closed doors.

All eyes now turn to November 26, when India delivers its crucial presentation on the proposed 2036 Olympic bid before global sports leaders. Usha's nomination ensures that instead of presenting a united front, the national Olympic committee heads toward that milestone gripped by a fierce leadership vote.