PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu Among 10 Elected Unopposed To IOA Athletes' Commission

Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu were among 10 sportspersons declared elected unopposed to the Athletes' Commission of the Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday. The result matters because the panel will help shape key IOA decisions, including representation in the Executive Council and General Body.

Returning Officer Sanjay K Srivastava declared all 10 candidates elected unopposed. The group includes five male and five female athletes. With the field reduced to 10 for 10 seats, the IOA did not need to hold a poll.

The contest ended before voting. Former track and field athlete Sudha Singh pulled out late on Monday night. That left exactly 10 candidates in the fray for the same number of seats and removed the need for an election.

Ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth had also withdrawn his candidature on Monday. After those exits, the panel was filled without a vote.

Commission Roles Ahead

The next round now shifts to IOA governance. The chairperson and vice chairperson of the Athletes' Commission—one male and one female in either of the two posts—shall be made members of the IOA Executive Council. That gives the commission a direct role in the IOA's top decision-making body.

Two members of the commission—one male and one female—will also become members of the IOA General Body with voting rights. The 10 elected athletes will take part in the IOA Executive Council elections on December 5 as Athletes' Commission representatives.

The elections for the commission's chairperson and vice chairperson, as well as the two representatives to the IOA General Body, will be held later.

The 10 Elected Members Are:

• PV Sindhu

• Mirabai Chanu

• Harmanpreet Singh

• Salima Tete

• Swapnil Kusale

• Bhavani Devi

• Tajinderpal Singh Toor

• Bombayla Devi

• Sajan Prakash

• Manjeet Singh