IOA to hold Executive Council elections on December 5; P.T. Usha calls it milestone for good governance
The Indian Olympic Association announced on October 10, 2026 in New Delhi that it will elect its new Executive Council on December 5, 2026, five days before the current committee's term expires.
The IOA has appointed Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, IAS (Retd.), former Election Commissioner, Delhi and Chandigarh, as the Electoral Officer/Returning Officer for the 2026 elections. "He will conduct, monitor and supervise the elections relating to the Athletes’ Commission, Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs), and the IOA Executive Council," IOA said in a statement, adding that the electoral process will be conducted in accordance with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026, the amended IOA Constitution, and the applicable IOA Election Bye-Laws and Rules.
Elections to the IOA Athletes' Commission for the 2026-2030 term have been scheduled with polling, counting and declaration of results on November 3, 2026. "Eligible NSF Members are required to nominate two athlete representatives through their duly constituted Athletes' Commissions, with nominations due by 2:00 PM on 11 October 2026. The Commission will comprise 10 elected athletes -- five men and five women, with the Rules providing for specific representation of Olympic-category athletes and athletes with achievements at major competitions," IOA said.
The process to identify Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit began on September 18 with the publication of application forms for inclusion in the roster. Eligible applicants can submit their applications and supporting documents by October 18, after which the roster will be prepared in line with the eligibility and tier criteria under the National Sports Governance framework, the IOA said.
IOA president P.T. Usha described the 2026 elections in a press release as central to the organisation's governance aims. "The 2026 elections mark an important milestone in strengthening good governance, transparency and accountability within the Indian Olympic Movement. Our objective is to build strong, credible and athlete-centric institutions, fully aligned with the Olympic Charter and the national sports governance framework," Usha was quoted as saying in a press release. "The appointment of an experienced former Election Commissioner as Electoral Officer/Returning Officer underlines our commitment to an independent, transparent and credible electoral process. The IOA will provide all necessary support while fully respecting the independence of the electoral process," she added.
Usha took charge as IOA president on December 10, 2022 after being elected unopposed, becoming the first woman to head the national Olympic body. India is among seven interested parties in dialogue with the International Olympic Committee over hosting the 2036 Games in Ahmedabad; the others are Germany, Hungary, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Turkey.
The immediate steps in the IOA calendar are the nomination deadline for athlete representatives at 2:00 PM on October 11, the SOMs application cutoff on October 18, the Athletes' Commission polling, counting and result declaration on November 3, and the IOA Executive Council election on December 5.