Olympic medallists PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Swapnil Kusale and Harmanpreet Singh are among the 10 athletes elected unopposed to the IOA Athletes Commission after two candidates withdrew their nominations
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PV Sindhu in action against China’s Wang Zhi Yi in BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi(Photo: PTI)
The Indian Olympic Association’s Athletes Commission has been finalised, with Olympic medallists PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Swapnil Kusale and hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh among the 10 members elected unopposed.
The final list has five male and five female athletesThe development came after badminton player Kidambi Srikanth and former athlete Sudha Singh withdrew their nominations, leaving 10 candidates for the 10 available positions.
According to a circular issued by the IOA’s Returning Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, all 10 candidates have been elected unopposedThe election was scheduled for November 3, but the withdrawals meant that no contest was required.
The male members include Harmanpreet Singh, swimmer Sajan Prakash and athletics star Tajinderpal Singh Toor in the Olympian categoryShooter Swapnil Kusale and Manjeet Singh, who represents canoeing and kayaking, have been selected under the medallist category.
The five female members are PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu and former archer Laishram Bombayla Devi in the Olympian categoryHockey player Salima Tete and fencer CA Bhavani Devi have been selected under the medallist category.
The final list includes athletes from nine different sports, with hockey having two representativesThe original list of 12 candidates had two representatives each from badminton, athletics and hockeyHowever, Srikanth and Sudha Singh’s withdrawals reduced the number to 10.
The next step will be the selection of the Athletes Commission’s chairperson and vice-chairpersonThe two representatives will also become part of the IOA general assembly.
Explaining the next stage of the process, Returning Officer Srivastava said, “After two withdrawals, all members were elected unopposed and the next step would be to elect the two representatives for the general assembly.”
Sindhu and Mirabai are understood to be among the frontrunners for the leadership positions, but the final decision will be taken by the 10 elected members through voting.
Meanwhile, attention will shift to the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merits (SOMs) listThe updated list is scheduled to be published on November 5 after scrutiny and the disposal of objectionsThe deadline for candidates to withdraw their nominations is November 7, before the final list is released.
Full list of athletes
Kidambi Srikanth from Badminton and Sudha Singh from Athletics have withdrawn their candidaturesOlympic medallists PV Sindhu from badminton, Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting), Swapnil Kusale (Shooting) and Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey).
Also on the star list are Salima Tete from hockey, CA Bhavani Devi of Fencing, Sajan Prakash from Swimming, Manjeet Singh from Canoeing and Kayaking, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor from Athletics and L Bombayla Devi of Archery.
