Four candidates dropped from IOA SOM election race; 23 remain in fray

NewsSports NewsMore sports NewsFour candidates, including Sardar Singh, dropped from IOA SOM election race; 23 remain in fray Four candidates, including Sardar Singh, dropped from IOA SOM election race; 23 remain in fray Tanuj Lakhina / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Nov 05, 2026, 19:56 IST NEW DELHI: Sardar Singh, B Sumeeth Reddy, Om Prakash Singh Karhana and Sunith Singh have failed to make the final list of validly nominated candidates ahead of November 9 elections for IOA's Sportspersons of Outstanding merit (SOM).Four candidates have not made the cut for the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections following scrutiny of nominations, reducing the field from 27 draft nominees to 23.The final list of validly nominated candidates, issued by Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava on Thursday, features 12 men and 11 women.

The draft list published on October 31 had 15 male and 12 female candidates. Watch Kynan Chenai: The 38-Year-Old Gun Barrel, Asian Games Gold and the LA 2028 Dream | TOISA Spotlight Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh, badminton player B Sumeeth Reddy and shot putter Om Prakash Singh Karhana are the three male candidates missing from the final list.

Sunith Singh is the only female candidate from the draft list who has not made the cut.The remaining candidates include prominent sporting figures such as current IOA president PT Usha, vice-president Gagan Narang, Olympic medallists Vijender Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt, former Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla, former table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal and badminton star Saina Nehwal.

The final list follows the publication of the draft nominations on October 31 and the subsequent scrutiny process.How the SOM election process works The SOM elections are part of the wider IOA electoral process for the 2026-2030 term.

The electoral college comprises 80 Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit, equally divided between 40 men and 40 women.The November 9 election will see these 80 members vote to elect eight representatives to the IOA General Assembly — four men and four women.The nomination process requires candidates to be proposed and seconded by members of the published SOM electoral roll.

The election guidelines also prescribe restrictions on proposing and seconding multiple candidates in the same gender category. Digital signatures have been permitted, with voting to take place virtually.Following the scrutiny of nominations, candidates have November 6 and 7 to withdraw.

The final list of contesting candidates is scheduled to be published on November 7, ahead of polling, counting and declaration of results on November 9.The eight elected SOM representatives will become part of the IOA General Assembly.

Of these, one male and one female representative will subsequently be elected to the IOA Executive Council.Join conversation Their participation will therefore extend beyond the SOM elections themselves, giving the elected athletes a direct role in the composition of the IOA's governing body for the next four-year term.IOA SOM Elections candidates: MALE1.

Mansher Singh2. Surinder Singh Shokar3. Gagan Narang4. Moraad Ali Khan5. Kamlesh Mehta6. Sathish Kumar Sivalingam7. Yogeshwar Dutt8. Ronjan Sodhi9. Sai Praneeth10. Achanta Sharath Kamal11. Vijender Singh12. Adille SumariwallaFEMALE1.

Dola Banerjee2. Ashwini Nachappa3. Chekrovolu Swuro4. Neelam Setti Laxmi5. PT Usha6. Rani Rampal7. Ragina Kiro8. Saina Nehwal9. Trupti Murgunde10. Anitha Paul Durai11. Anju Bobby George Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.

Download the TOI app. Tanuj Lakhina is a sports journalist specialising in tennis, with over a decade of experience in digital journalism. He has extensively covered tennis, including Grand Slams, Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and follows the sport from the grassroots to the international stage.

His coverage in the wider ecosystem also includes cricket, football and other major sporting events. Supreme Court Ends Detention-Arrest Distinction, Says 24-Hour Clock Starts When Liberty Is Curtailed 'Johnny Johnny..': Sambit Patra Uses Nursery Rhymes to Mock INDIA Bloc, dares Rahul to debate Mamata 'Let's Face Each Other Head-On': Amit Shah Challenges Rahul Gandhi To Debate SIR In Parliament Rahul's Nov 1 Delhi Rally Under Fire, CAIT Announces Nationwide 'Dhikkar Diwas' Over Traders' Losses ‘BJP Misled Aga Ruhullah, Offered Him Lollipop’: NC Attacks Former Srinagar MP Over Resignation 'Mann Smelled Of Alcohol By 11 am': Rahul Gandhi Targets Punjab CM Over Drug Menace