Asian Games gold-winning trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, badminton ace P.V. Sindhu, star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and national men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh have been named by their respective national sports federations (NSFs) to be the members of the electoral college for the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes Commission polls on November 3, 2026.
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The list of 34 electoral college members — two each from 17 NSFs — was released by the IOA-appointed electoral officer Sanjay K. Srivastava on Friday (October 16, 2026).
There was no representative from All India Football Federation (AIFF), All India Tennis Association (AITA), Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
Sindhu and Mirabai were members of the outgoing IOA Athletes Commission.
Current IOA Athletes Commission chairperson, celebrated boxer Mary Kom and vice-chairperson Achanta Sharath Kamal, a table tennis legend, were not nominated this time to the electoral college. So, they will not be in the athletes’ body for the 2026-2030 term.
Article 10.3 of the Athletes Commission Rules of the IOA, ratified in September, says that nomination of the two electoral college members — one male and one female — shall be made through the Athletes Commission of the NSF member, from among athletes representing the sport, in respect of which such NSF Member is affiliated with the IOA.
"Only those NSF Members which have established an Athletes Commission shall be allowed to appoint their athletes’ representatives through their respective Athletes Commissions."
The AIFF does not have an elected Athletes Commission while BFI is not recognised by both the IOA and the sports ministry.
Dhanda and Swapnil Kushare have been named in the electoral college of the IOA Athletes Commission while Mirabai and Aman Sehrawat were picked by the Indian Weightlifting Federation and Wrestling Federation of India respectively.
Hockey India named Harmanpreet and women's team captain Salima Tete as its representatives to elect IOA Athletes Commission members at the November 3 polls.
K. Srikanth and Sindhu were named by the Badminton Association of India, while Bhavani Devi was picked by the Fencing Association of India. The Athletics Federation of India named Sudha Singh and Tajinderpal Singh Toor.
The 10 members of the IOA's Athletes Commission — 5 male and 5 female — for the 2026-2030 term will be elected from amongst the 34 electoral college members. So, whoever wants to contest for the IOA's Athletes Commission will have to file nomination papers before 5pm on October 21.
"Members of the [IOA] Athletes Commission shall be elected by, and from amongst, a pool of eligible athlete representatives which shall constitute the electoral college for such election, constituted in accordance with this Rule," reads Article 10.1 of the IOA Athletes Commission Rules.
Article 10.4 says: "Any eligible athlete representative from among this pool seeking election as a member of the [IOA] Athletes Commission shall submit an application through the concerned NSF Member in the format prescribed by the Electoral Officer."
To be eligible to become a candidate for the IOA Athletes Commission, he or she should be an Indian citizen, be at least 18 years of age at the date of nomination and has never been sanctioned for violation under the World Anti-Doping Code, the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 or breach of any applicable integrity regulation.
The candidate should never have been sanctioned for a breach of the IOA Constitution and its bye-laws, rules and regulations.
While announcing the returning officer for the December 5 executive council elections, the national Olympic body had asked the NSFs to nominate two athlete representatives through their duly constituted Athletes' Commissions by 2pm on October 11 for the IOA Athletes Commission election on November 3.
Two members — one male and one female — of the IOA Athletes Commission shall be made members of the Executive Council.
Out of the 10 elected members of the IOA Athletes Commission, six — three male and three female — should have, at the time of election, participated in at least one of the last three editions of the Olympic Games.
The remaining four elected members — two male and two female — should have, at the time of their election, won at least one medal in any of the last three editions of the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championship/Cup or the National Games.
Besides the 10 elected members, trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, who was elected as a member of the Olympic Council of Asia's Athletes' Commission during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, will be an ex-officio member of the IOA Athletes' Commission with voting rights.
The Athletes' Commission will, in turn, select eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) — four male and four female — who will be a part of the General House to elect the new Executive Council.
From amongst the eight elected SOMs, two — one male and one female — shall be elected to the IOA Executive Council.