PT Usha to contest for Indian Olympic Association president’s post

New Delhi: Legendary track and field star of India PT Usha will contest for the president’s post in the upcoming Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections.

The star sprinter Usha is one of the greatest athletes to have ever come out of India and brags four gold medals and seven silvers at the Asian Games. She missed out on a podium finish in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics by 1/100th of a second. Her timing of 55.42s in LA still holds as a national record.
“With the warm support of my fellow athletes and National Federations, I am humbled and honoured to accept and file for the nomination of the president of IOA!” PT Usha tweeted on Saturday.

With the warm support of my Fellow Athletes and National Federations I am humbled and honoured to accept and file for the Nomination of the President Of IOA!

— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) November 26, 2022

The last date for filing nominations is Sunday (November 27). The IOA executive committee election will take place on December 10, with an electoral college of 77 members, including the star sprinter.

Usha was a part of the eight sportspersons of outstanding merit (SOMs), selected by the Athletes’ Commission of the IOA last week.

Olympic medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former hockey player M M Somaya, tennis player Rohit Rajpal, boxer Akhil Kumar, shooter Suma Shirur, badminton player Aparna Popat and archer Dola Banerjee are the other seven SOMs selected by the Athletes’ Commission of the IOA, which was elected on November 14.

Boxing legend MC Mary Kom is the president of the IOA Athletes’ Commission while table tennis legend Sharath Kamal is her deputy.

Under the new constitution of the IOA, the eight SOMs, with four male and as many female members, will be a part of the General Assembly with voting rights.