Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 11: Former Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George has emerged as a leading contender for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) presidency after securing the highest number of votes in the Sportspersons of Merit (SOM) elections held on Monday. Incumbent president PT Usha, however, suffered a setback after failing to secure a place among the four elected female representatives.

Anju topped the voting with 53 votes in the virtual election conducted between 9 am and 5 pm. Former Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal finished second with 50 votes, followed by former archer Dola Banerjee with 45 votes and badminton player Saina Nehwal with 43 votes.

Usha, who became the first woman president of the IOA in 2022, secured 40 votes and finished fifth.

All 80 Sportspersons of Merit, comprising 40 men and 40 women, participated in the voting process.

The results are expected to have a significant bearing on the upcoming IOA leadership election, scheduled for December 5, when the Executive Council, including the president, will be elected.

According to a source familiar with the developments, Anju is being actively considered for the top post. A senior Athletics Federation of India (AFI) official was initially considered for the position but later withdrew his candidature. The Sports Ministry is understood to have favoured a woman candidate for the presidency.

In the men's category, four representatives — Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Vijender Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt, along with Kamlesh Mehta — had already been elected unopposed on Saturday after eight other candidates withdrew their nominations.

Meanwhile, Chennai has emerged as the frontrunner to host the 2029 Asian Athletics Championships. Surakarta in Indonesia, which was among the prospective venues, is understood to have withdrawn from the race, according to a source.