27 former athletes, including PT Usha, named in IOA Sportspersons of Merit draft list
The 2026 IOA Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit vote is set for 9 November; eight seats are up for election.
Key facts
Story- 27 former athletes, 15 men and 12 women, are on the draft list for the IOA SOM election
- The election is set for 9 November; eight SOM positions are up for election
- Candidates include PT Usha, Gagan Narang, Saina Nehwal, Yogeshwar Dutt and Anju Bobby George
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has released a draft list of nominations for its 2026 Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections, which are scheduled for 9 November. The list has 27 names: 15 men and 12 women.
The candidates include IOA president PT Usha, shooter Gagan Narang, badminton player Saina Nehwal, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and athlete Anju Bobby George. Usha and five Olympic medallists are among those in the fray.
The SOM posts are open to former athletes. Eight positions are up for election. Winners become members of the IOA's General Assembly, the national Olympic body's top decision-making body.
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The draft list shows the field is crowded with well-known names from several sports. Each candidate on the list has been put forward for one of the eight seats.
Who is on the list
Besides Usha, Narang, Nehwal, Dutt and George, the list includes former athletes from across Olympic and non-Olympic sports. Reports on the list do not give a full breakdown by sport.
The list is a draft. Reports do not say whether any names may be withdrawn or added before the vote.
It is not yet clear how many votes each candidate is expected to get, or how the eight seats will be filled from the 27 names.
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