finished fifth in the Indian Olympic Association’s election for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) on Monday, 9 November 2026, missing one of the four women’s places in the General Assembly. Long jumper Anju Bobby George topped the poll with 53 votes, followed by former hockey captain Rani Rampal on 50, former archer Dola Banerjee on 45 and former shuttler Saina Nehwal on 43. Usha received 40 votes, while former basketball player Anitha Paul Durai got six. Returning officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava announced the results.
Usha, the first woman to head the, was elected unopposed in December 2022. She has been the public face of India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games and of preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. The IOA’s Executive Council elections, which will choose a new president, are set for 5 December.
Six women contested the four SOM spots. All 80 existing SOMs, 40 men and 40 women, voted online between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday, with each voter selecting four candidates. The four men’s places had already been filled unopposed on Saturday after several candidates withdrew. They went to Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijender Singh, plus former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta. World Athletics vice-president Adille Sumariwalla was among those who pulled out.
The eight elected SOMs will join the General Assembly. One man and one woman from the group will also get seats on the Executive Council. The four successful women contested as a unified panel, which helped them pull clear of Usha.
The result does not immediately end PT Usha’s presidency. She remains in office until the December elections. However, it closes the SOM route she used to reach the Executive Council in 2022, making a second term harder to secure.
Under the IOA constitution, a presidential candidate must be an SOM or a member of the General Assembly. Usha could still become eligible if a national sports federation nominates her to the Assembly. Each federation can nominate two representatives, one man and one woman. The Athletics Federation of India is expected to pick Sumariwalla and Anju, who is also an AFI senior vice-president.
Saina had been viewed as a key challenger; Monday’s result could elevate Anju, and Narang is said to be interested. Notably, none of them has yet been confirmed as a candidate.
The 5 December vote will be decided by a General Assembly made up of national federation nominees, the eight SOMs, two representatives of the Athletes Commission and India’s IOC member. PT Usha’s fifth-place finish has narrowed her options and strengthened the position of the newly elected SOMs. On the facts confirmed so far, a second term has not been completely ruled out, but the path is now significantly steeper.
The outcome has shifted the balance of influence inside Indian administration ahead of the December polls. Usha’s four-year stint as the country’s first woman IOA president is under clear pressure, and the next few weeks will show whether any federation steps in to keep her in the race.
