Indian Olympic Association Releases 34-Athlete Electoral College for Commission Vote
Asian Games gold medalist Neeru Dhanda, badminton star PV Sindhu, Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu, and Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh have been named to the electoral college for the upcoming Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes Commission elections. Electoral officer Sanjay K. Srivastava released the official list of 34 athlete representatives, covering 17 national sports federations with two nominees each.
Federation Nominations and Eligibility Breakdown
The newly released 34-member electoral college includes representatives from 17 participating national sports federations (NSFs), operating under Article 10.3 of the IOA Athletes Commission rules approved in September. The guidelines stipulate that each participating NSF can nominate two representatives—one male and one female—through its own athlete commission. All India Football Federation, All India Tennis Association, Boxing Federation of India, and Table Tennis Federation of India do not feature in the current representative pool.
Asian Games gold-winning trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, badminton ace P.V. Sindhu, star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and national men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh have been named by their respective national sports federations (NSFs) to be the members of the electoral…
Shooting nominees include Neeru Dhanda and Swapnil Kusale, while the Indian Weightlifting Federation selected Mirabai Chanu, and the Wrestling Federation of India put forward Aman Sehrawat. Hockey India named men’s captain Harmanpreet Singh and women’s team captain Salima Tete. The Badminton Association of India nominated K. Srikanth alongside PV Sindhu, and the Fencing Association of India selected Bhavani Devi. Sudha Singh and Tajinderpal Singh Toor will represent the Athletics Federation of India.
Election Timeline and Candidate Requirements
The 34 representatives will elect 10 members—five men and five women—to form the IOA Athletes Commission for the 2026–2030 term during the scheduled vote on November 3. Athletes seeking a seat on the commission must submit their nomination papers by 5:00 PM on October 21. Article 10.1 and Article 10.4 of the IOA rules govern the candidate application process through the respective NSF members.
Candidates must possess a clean disciplinary record with no history of violations under the World Anti-Doping Code, the National Anti-Doping Act of 2022, or other applicable integrity regulations. Furthermore, nominees must not have faced sanctions for violating the IOA constitution, bylaws, or general regulations.
Commission Composition and Ex-Officio Representation
The 10-member commission requires specific sporting credentials for its seats. At least six elected members—three men and three women—must have competed in one of the previous three editions of the Olympic Games at the time of their election. The remaining four positions are reserved for athletes who have won at least one medal in the past three editions of the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships/Cup, or National Games. Additionally, two members of the commission—one man and one woman—will secure seats on the IOA Executive Council.
Trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, who was chosen for the Olympic Council of Asia Athletes Commission during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, holds an ex-officio position with voting rights on the IOA panel.
Worth a look
