IOA Elections: Abhinav Bindra raises questions over SOM polls

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has made public his private correspondence with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), raising questions over an apparent inconsistency between the body's Constitution and the electoral rules governing the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections.

Bindra's decision to release the letter comes amid growing scrutiny of the IOA's electoral processes following the controversial SOM elections on November 9.

His October 31 correspondence with IOA president P.T. Usha and CEO Raghuram Iyer had also been referenced in recent media reports, prompting him to publish the letter in its entirety to clarify its intent and context.

In a post on X on Thursday, Bindra said his letter had been written before the elections in the spirit of constructive engagement and with the larger interests of Indian sport in mind.

He had sought clarification over an apparent inconsistency between Article 3.7 of the IOA Constitution and the recently notified rules governing the election of SOM representatives.

"While I received an indication of which rules were being followed, the underlying constitutional question remained unanswered. To date, I have received no substantive clarification from either the Electoral Officer or the IOA leadership," Bindra wrote.

The SOM elections saw IOA president Usha finish fifth in the women's category with 40 votes, missing out on one of the four positions in the General Assembly. Anju Bobby George, Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal secured the four positions.

The men's category saw four candidates elected unopposed after eight of the 12 contenders withdrew from the race. Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt, Vijender Singh and Kamlesh Mehta secured the four positions.

The elections have since come under scrutiny, with Usha approaching the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seeking an independent examination of alleged violations during the electoral process.

Bindra, however, clarified that his intervention was not intended to question individuals or influence the outcome of the elections. He said his objective was to encourage greater clarity, transparency and confidence in India's sporting institutions.

"I have always believed that the strength of an institution lies not in the absence of questions, but in its willingness to address them," he wrote.

The former Olympic champion also stressed the importance of strong governance as India looks towards a more ambitious future in international sport, adding that institutional credibility would be just as important as the achievements of its athletes.

He called for a shared commitment to constitutional clarity, fairness and integrity in institutional and electoral processes, arguing that the credibility of sporting organisations depended not only on their decisions but also on the fairness of the processes through which those decisions were reached.

The IOA Executive Council elections for the 2026-2030 term are scheduled for December 5. The elected SOM representatives will be part of the IOA General Assembly and will have the right to vote and contest in the upcoming elections.

"Indian sport deserves nothing less," Bindra concluded.