Bengaluru, Nov 2026 : Former Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George has emerged as a leading contender for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) presidency after securing the highest number of votes in the Sportspersons of Merit (SOM) elections held on Monday. Incumbent president PT Usha, meanwhile, suffered a setback after finishing fifth and missing out on a place among the four elected women representatives.
Anju topped the virtual voting with 53 votes in the election conducted between 9 am and 5 pm. Former Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal secured the second position with 50 votes, followed by former archer Dola Banerjee with 45 and badminton star Saina Nehwal with 43 votes.
Usha, who became the first woman to head the IOA in 2022, received 40 votes. All 80 Sportspersons of Merit, comprising 40 men and 40 women, participated in the voting.
The results are expected to influence the upcoming IOA leadership election scheduled for December 5, when the association's Executive Council, including its president, will be elected.
According to a source familiar with the developments, Anju is being actively considered for the top post. A senior Athletics Federation of India (AFI) official was initially in contention but subsequently withdrew his candidature. The Sports Ministry is understood to have favoured a woman candidate for the presidency.
In the men's category, four representatives were elected unopposed on Saturday. They include Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt, along with Kamlesh Mehta. Eight other candidates withdrew their nominations, paving the way for their unopposed election.
Meanwhile, Chennai has emerged as the frontrunner to host the 2029 Asian Athletics Championships. Surakarta in Indonesia, which was among the prospective host cities, is understood to have withdrawn from the race, according to a source.
The developments come at a crucial time for Indian sports administration, with the December 5 election set to determine the IOA's next leadership.
