NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) presidential election has taken a fresh turn, with incumbent president PT Usha entering the fray again after appearing to be virtually out of contention following her defeat in the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) election.Usha has filed her nomination through the Ice Hockey Association of India, potentially setting up another contest for the IOA president’s post. Her candidature could bring her into direct competition with candidates backed by sections of the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the sports administration.Usha’s return to the presidential race comes in the aftermath of the SOM election, where four prominent former athletes – world championships medallist Anju Bobby George, London Olympics medallist Saina Nehwal, former India archer Dola Banerjee and former hockey captain Rani Rampal – came together against her. Their collective position, coupled with last-minute withdrawals, resulted in Usha losing the contest.The developments surrounding the SOM election had also triggered allegations against several individuals, including members of the IOA executive committee, with claims of interference from sections of the sports administration. Usha has written to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), raising concerns over the manner in which the SOM election was conducted.Her nomination through the Ice Hockey Association of India now puts her back in contention, although it remains to be seen how much support she can garner from the federations and other stakeholders.Meanwhile, former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla has returned as the federation’s representative after withdrawing from the SOM election. Hockey India representative Bhola Nath Singh and All India Tennis Association (AITA) representative Chintan Parekh are among the other notable names in the latest list.Rohit Rajpal, who is part of the IOA executive committee, is not among the representatives in the latest list.The developments also come ahead of India’s presentation on its proposed bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, scheduled for November 26.
