Thiruvananthapuram, November 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Forty-two years after missing an Olympic medal by just 0.01 seconds, legendary Indian athlete P.T. Usha faces another major test, this time in her bid to retain the presidency of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
The latest IOA electoral college results have complicated the prospects of the 62-year-old incumbent president, while opening the way for another prominent Kerala athlete, Anju Bobby George, to enter the contest for the top post.
Usha finished fifth in Monday’s election to the women’s Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) category, securing 40 votes. Only four candidates were to be elected. Anju topped the poll with 53 votes out of the 80 cast, followed by former hockey captain Rani Rampal with 50, archer Dola Banerjee with 45 and badminton player Saina Nehwal with 43.
Usha’s failure to enter the electoral college has made her bid for another term more difficult. However, she could still enter the process through a nomination by one of the National Sports Federations, which are yet to name their representatives.
Anju, a former World Athletics Championships bronze medallist, is now eligible to contest the December 5 IOA elections. She has also served as senior vice-president of the Athletics Federation of India and has experience in sports administration.
The two athletes represent different generations of Kerala athletics. Usha, who hails from Payyoli in Kozhikode district, became the first woman to head the IOA in 2022. Anju, from Changanassery in Kottayam district, made history by winning long jump bronze at the 2003 World Athletics Championships.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Usha had finished fourth in the 400-metre hurdles final, missing the bronze medal by just 0.01 seconds in a photo finish.
Now, as the IOA prepares for its December elections, Usha’s attempt to secure another term and Anju’s emergence as a potential contender have put Kerala’s representation in the country’s top Olympic administrative body in focus.
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