EXPLAINED: Can PT Usha still become IOA president? Where do the elections go from here?

NewsSports NewsMore sports NewsPT Usha's second-term ambitions at crossroads: What are her options in IOA presidential race? PT Usha's second-term ambitions at crossroads: What are her options in IOA presidential race?

PT Usha has been the IOA president since December 2022. (Image: Instagram) New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) presidential race took an unexpected turn on Monday, with current chief PT Usha facing her biggest electoral setback since taking charge of the organisation in December 2022.Usha, who became the first woman to head the IOA, finished fifth in the election for the women's Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) category on November 9.

With four positions available, she missed out on a place in the newly elected group that will form part of the IOA General Assembly, dealing a significant blow to her prospects of securing another term. Watch PT Usha Shines at TOISA ’25 - Inspiring the Next Generation of Indian Athletes The result has also altered the power dynamics within the country's apex sports body ahead of the December 5 Executive Council elections, which will determine who leads Indian Olympic administration for the next four years.However, Usha's electoral defeat does not, by itself, settle the question of her future.

The IOA Constitution, ratified on September 8, and the Election Bye-Laws provide a framework that leaves some room for an alternative route. Whether that route is available to Usha, and whether she intends to pursue it, are now central questions.What does Usha's SOMs defeat mean for her presidential ambitions?

Athlete and Vice-President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Gagan Narang during kit unveiling and send-off ceremony for Team India hosted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2026 , in New Delhi.

(PTI) The eight elected SOMs will form part of the General Assembly and will be eligible to vote in the December 5 elections. One male and one female representative from this category will also be elected to the Executive Council.For Usha, the immediate consequence is that she will no longer have the SOM route that helped her enter the IOA's electoral structure in 2022.But does that automatically rule her out of the presidential race?

Not necessarily.Can PT Usha still find a way into the General Assembly?The IOA Constitution provides for membership of the General Assembly through multiple categories, including representatives of National Sports Federations (NSFs), the Athletes Commission, IOC members and the eight SOMs.Under the election notification issued on November 9, each eligible NSF has been asked to nominate two authorised representatives to the Electoral College — one male and one female.The notification lists 30 eligible National Sports Federations.

Each federation's representatives will have one vote apiece in the Executive Council elections. IOA president PT Usha with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at the 2026 Asian Games. (PTI) ">PT Usha has sought support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after losing the IOA SOMs elections.

The new Constitution's eligibility provision for the President and Treasurer requires a candidate to be a Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit or to have previously served at least one full term as a member of the IOA Executive Council, or as president, secretary general or treasurer of an affiliated unit.Usha's tenure as IOA president began in December 2022.

Whether her current Executive Council service will be treated as a completed full term at the relevant eligibility cut-off is a question that will need to be assessed under the Constitution and by the Electoral Officer.The Constitution also provides for a four-year term for office-bearers, a three-term ceiling and a cooling-off provision in the circumstances specified under its tenure rules.Thus, while an NSF nomination could potentially restore her place in the General Assembly, it should not be viewed as an automatic clearance for the presidential contest.There is another significant development.According to reports, PT Usha is not currently considering seeking nomination from an NSF to regain entry into the General Assembly.

Nor is she contemplating approaching the courts to challenge the SOM election result. Instead, her immediate focus appears to be on seeking intervention from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).Usha takes electoral battle to IOC: What is her next move?

PT Usha has written to IOC chief Kirsty Coventry (R) seeking an independent probe into the IOA SOMs elections. (Instagram) In a confidential three-page complaint, addressed to IOC president Kirsty Coventry, Usha has sought an independent examination of the SOM election process.The complaint, accessed by TOI, raises concerns about alleged campaigning by incumbent Executive Council members, communications seeking confirmation of voters' participation and references to the Sports Ministry in messages concerning a secret-ballot election.Usha has also questioned the handling of four representations she claims to have submitted to Returning Officer Sanjay K.

Srivastava during the electoral process.She has argued that the issue is not simply about her defeat, but about the conduct and oversight of the election itself.Her complaint reportedly asks the IOC to examine the alleged violations, ascertain whether any government or external influence was exerted and consider referring the matter to its relevant ethics and compliance mechanisms.She has also sought corrective measures to safeguard future IOA elections.The letter comes against the backdrop of India's ambitions to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

Usha has argued that the IOA's independence, transparency and governance standards are important to the credibility of the Olympic movement.Sources in her camp have indicated that the immediate hope is for IOC intervention, alongside efforts to seek the Prime Minister's...