Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Nov 6: Double Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh are likely to be appointed chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes Commission, according to reports.
The two are also expected to be among the key representatives of athletes in the IOA Executive Committee for the next four years. The appointments are likely to be finalised during the upcoming IOA elections scheduled for December 5.
The other two members expected to represent athletes in the IOA General Assembly are Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash. They will have voting rights in the IOA elections.
There were only four nominations for the four posts on the final day of filing on Thursday, indicating that an election may not be necessary to select these representatives.
The chairperson and vice-chairperson will represent athletes in the IOA Executive Committee and form part of its 15-member body. Unlike the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs), who will seek election to the Executive Committee, these two representatives will not have to contest separately for their positions.
Meanwhile, the final nomination list for the SOM category has been released, with 23 sportspersons shortlisted. Four applications were rejected on technical grounds. The shortlisted candidates include 12 men and 11 women, although one nomination in the women's category reportedly lacked the proposer's name.
Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh, athlete Om Prakash Singh Karhana and badminton player Sumeeth Reddy were among the male candidates whose nominations did not make it to the final list. One application was reportedly rejected because an old form had been used.
The SOM election is expected to witness a keen contest, with several prominent sporting personalities in the fray. The candidates include IOA president PT Usha, Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijender Singh, World Championships medallist Anju Bobby George, former Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla and former India women's hockey captain Rani Rampal.
A total of 80 SOMs will exercise their voting rights. With 23 candidates shortlisted, the category is expected to see an election. Applications with discrepancies were reportedly assessed on the basis of the nominations received first.