Ashwini Nachappa says she was forced to withdraw from IOA SOM elections, questions transparency

Former India sprinter Ashwini Nachappa said she was forced to withdraw from the Indian Olympic Association's Sportspersons of Merit elections, which were held virtually on Monday, she told PTI on Wednesday. Her allegation that the withdrawals were made under external pressure has raised questions about the transparency of the IOA electoral process.

The 59-year-old was one of 11 original candidates contesting four women's SOM positions; five female candidates, including Nachappa, withdrew on November 7, leaving six contenders for the four spots. Anju Bobby George, Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal won the four positions, while incumbent IOA president PT Usha finished fifth with 40 votes and missed a place in the General Assembly.

Nachappa said she did not step aside voluntarily and declined to name who applied pressure or explain how the withdrawals were communicated. "I was asked to pull out. All those who withdrew were asked to withdraw under external pressure. It wasn't voluntary, I can say that much... that speaks volumes about transparency," she told PTI.

She said she had entered the electoral process intending to contribute to Indian sport but felt compelled to withdraw when fairness appeared absent. "If the opportunity came and if there was fairness, I would have stayed on. But sadly the very ethics and values of Olympic sport has been erased completely, I thought there was no point (fighting the SOM elections)," Nachappa added.

Nachappa also criticised the conduct of some athletes involved in the process, saying the values associated with Olympism were not being upheld. She will return to running her educational institution in Karnataka, which she said has around 900 students.

The SOM elections were already the subject of complaints: Usha lodged a grievance with electoral officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava accusing former archer Dola Banerjee of breaching the Model Code of Conduct by circulating a WhatsApp message seeking votes for the 'New Bharat Panel'. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sathish Sivalingam complained of an organised effort to influence voters and alleged IOA resources were being used to support a candidate; he did not name Usha in his complaint.

Usha's failure to secure a SOM position has complicated her bid for a second presidential term, although she could still be included in the General Assembly via a nomination by a National Sports Federation. The IOA Executive Council elections are scheduled for December 5, and the recent allegations add to uncertainty ahead of that vote.