PV Sindhu to head IOA Athletes' Commission, Harmanpreet Singh named vice-chairperson

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes' Commission, with Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh appointed vice-chairperson. Weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash have also been elected as athlete representatives to the IOA General Body.

All four appointments were confirmed unopposed on Friday after they emerged as the sole candidates for their respective positions. Returning Officer Sanjay K Srivastava declared them elected, making it unnecessary to conduct the polls scheduled for Saturday, November 7.

Sindhu and Harmanpreet, both two-time Olympic medallists, were the only candidates to file nominations for the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions. Under IOA rules, the two posts must be occupied by one male and one female athlete.

Both will also become members of the IOA Executive Council, which will be constituted following the national Olympic body's elections on December 5. Their tenure, along with that of Chanu and Sajan, will run for four years from 2026 to 2030.

Chanu and Sajan were similarly elected unopposed as the two representatives of



the Athletes' Commission to the IOA General Assembly. The positions are reserved for one male and one female athlete, with both being the sole nominees in their respective categories.

Their appointments also mean that Chanu and Sajan will be eligible to vote in the IOA elections on December 5.

In a notice issued on Friday, Returning Officer Srivastava confirmed that Sindhu and Harmanpreet had been elected without polling. The notice also stated that Chanu and Sajan would become representatives to the General Assembly without having to participate in the voting process.

"The election of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson of IOA Executive Council and two Representatives of the Athletes' Commission to the IOA General Assembly, one male and one female, as scheduled on 7th November 2026, will not serve any purpose as there is only one candidate against one post in each category," the notice stated.

The candidates for the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions were required to come from the six-member Olympic category of the Athletes' Commission, comprising sportspersons who have participated in at least one of the last three editions of the Olympic Games.