PT Usha unanimously elected first woman president of IOA

NEW DELHI: India's legendary athlete PT Usha was on Saturday elected unopposed as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The 58-year-old is also the first Olympian and the first international medallist to hold the top post in 95-year-old history of IOA. PT Usha's election brings an end to a long-drawn crisis in the faction-ridden IOA which was warned of a possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if elections were not held this month.

Ajay Patel of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was unanimously elected senior vice-president. Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang and Rowing Federation of India President Rajlaxmi Singh Deo were elected as vice presidents.

Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) president Sahdev Yadav was elected treasurer. All India Football Federation (AIFF) president and former goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey was elected unopposed as the joint secretary (male).

Alaknanda Ashok of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) was elected as joint secretary (female) leaving behind other candidates Shalini Thakur Chawla and Suman Kaushik.

Olympic medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and archer Dola Banerjee are in the executive council as male and female representatives of the eight Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM). Legendary boxer MC Mary Kom and veteran table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal are also part of the executive council by virtue of being president and vice president of the Athletes Commission.

Bhupender Singh Bajwa, Amitabh Sharma, Harpal Singh and Rohit Rajpal were also elected to the executive council. (ANI)

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