Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Harmanpreet Singh have been appointed chairperson and vice-chairperson of the IOA Athletes’ Commission, respectivelyBoth were elected unopposed and will serve a four-year term from 2026 to 2030
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Indian shuttler PV Sindhu in action in Hylo Open 2026(Photo: BWF/Badminton Photo)
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association’s Athletes’ Commission, while Indian men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has been appointed vice-chairpersonBoth athletes were elected unopposed after emerging as the only candidates for their respective positions.
The appointments were confirmed on Friday, November 6, following a notification issued by Returning Officer Sanjay K SrivastavaThe elections scheduled for November 7 were no longer required as there was only one candidate for each position.
Apart from Sindhu and Harmanpreet, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash have been elected as the two athlete representatives to the IOA General AssemblyChanu will represent the female athletes, while Prakash will take the male representative’s position.
All four athletes will serve a four-year term from 2026 to 2030Sindhu and Harmanpreet will also become members of the IOA Executive Council, which will be formed after the national body’s elections on December 5.
The appointments are important as the Athletes’ Commission provides a platform for sportspersons to represent their interests within the country’s Olympic administrationThe two representatives to the General Assembly will also have voting rights in the upcoming IOA elections.
The latest appointments follow the election of 10 members to the Athletes’ Commission on November 3The list includes women’s hockey captain Salima Tete, shooter Swapnil Kusale, fencer Bhavani Devi, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, former archer Bombayla Devi and kayaker Manjeet Singh.
Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan and shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia’s Athletes’ Commission, will serve as ex-officio members of the IOA panel.
Sindhu, Mirabai and Bhavani were also part of the previous Athletes’ Commission, which was headed by former world champion boxer MC Mary Kom.
For Sindhu, the appointment adds another responsibility to her sporting careerThe badminton star has won two Olympic medals, taking silver at the Rio 2016 Games and bronze at Tokyo 2020.
Harmanpreet, meanwhile, has been a key member of the Indian men’s hockey team and helped the country win bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
The new leadership will take charge at an important time for Indian sport, with athlete representation and the functioning of the national Olympic body expected to remain key issues ahead of the next Olympic cycle.
