PT Usha's grip on Indian sports administration slipped on Monday. The track icon crashed out of the Indian Olympic Association's Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit election, mustering just 40 votes in a bruising six-way digital contest. It was a stunning defeat. By finishing fifth among six female contenders, the reigning IOA chief saw her primary gateway to a second term shut abruptly less than a month before the December 5 presidential election.
Eighty of their peers cast ballots virtually on the Right2Vote platform between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., dramatically overhauling the balance of power inside the Olympic body. Long jump world championship medalist Anju Bobby George dominated the field with 53 votes. Former hockey captain Rani Rampal snapped up 50, while former archer Dola Banerjee bagged 45 and London Olympic bronze shuttler Saina Nehwal logged 43 to secure the four coveted spots. Basketball veteran Anitha Paul Durai trailed far behind with six votes.
| Candidate | Discipline | Votes Secured | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anju Bobby George | Athletics | 53 | Elected |
| Rani Rampal | Hockey | 50 | Elected |
| Dola Banerjee | Archery | 45 | Elected |
| Saina Nehwal | Badminton | 43 | Elected |
| PT Usha | Athletics | 40 | Defeated |
| Anitha Paul Durai | Basketball | 6 | Defeated |
Tempers had flared well before the virtual voting booths opened. On the eve of the ballot, Usha lodged an official complaint with Electoral Officer Sanjay K Srivastava, demanding action against Banerjee over an alleged breach of the Model Code of Conduct. Usha claimed a WhatsApp message pushed through an account bearing Banerjee's name actively lobbied for a slate called the 'New Bharat Panel'—listing four specific candidates alongside their ballot serial and roll numbers. Under Clause 1.9 of the election directives issued on October 30, promotional campaigns via social networks and digital media are barred. Yet the electoral officer opted to re-issue the code rather than halt the ballot, permitting the scheduled vote to roll ahead.
The men faced no such scrap. Former rifle shooter Gagan Narang, boxer Vijender Singh, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, and veteran table tennis champion Kamlesh Mehta walked into their merit berths unopposed after a wave of 13 candidate withdrawals—eight male and five female—shook the field. That walkover clears the quartet to contest the apex executive positions on December 5 alongside the four newly elected women.
Technically, a narrow side door remains for Usha. She could theoretically enter the presidential race if nominated to the General Assembly by an affiliated national sports federation, though sports officials consider that prospect remote. Meanwhile, the IOA Athletes Commission wrapped up its appointments without an election, naming badminton star PV Sindhu chairperson and men's hockey skipper Harmanpreet Singh vice-chairperson, while weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash booked voter slots for the General Body. Indian Olympic sports now charges toward its December 5 ballot with its most famous track legend stranded on the perimeter.