NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Electoral Officer (returning officer), Sanjay K. Srivastava, has issued guidelines for the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections, warning that nominations that fail to comply with the prescribed conditions will not be considered valid.In the document dated October 26, retired IAS officer Srivastava clarified the nomination procedure and issued a modified Form 2 for candidates seeking election as SOMs to the IOA General Assembly. The deadline remains October 30.The revised instructions place particular emphasis on the role of proposers and seconders, who must be members of the male or female SOM roster published by the Electoral Officer on October 23.An individual can propose or second one candidate in the male category and one in the female category. However, if the same person endorses more than one candidate in either category, the later nomination will be rejected. The instructions also state that a proposer or seconder cannot withdraw their name once the nomination has been delivered.The rules permit cross-gender endorsements: a male SOM can propose or second a female candidate, and a female SOM can do the same for a male candidate. The restriction is on endorsing multiple candidates within the same category, not on the gender of the candidate being nominated.Eight representatives to enter the IOA General Assembly
PT Usha
The SOM election will determine eight representatives to the IOA General Assembly, comprising four men and four women. Under the IOA’s Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit Rules, 2026, one male and one female representative will subsequently be elected from among the eight to the IOA Executive Council.The SOM framework is designed to incorporate the experience of former elite athletes, including the current president PT Usha, into the governance of Indian sport. Candidates must satisfy the prescribed eligibility conditions, including Indian citizenship, being of sound mind, being between 25 and 70 years of age on the date of application, and having retired from active sport for at least one year before applying. They must also have represented India in an Olympic sport for which the concerned national sports federation or sports body is an IOA member.The next stages of the process will involve scrutiny of nominations, disposal of objections and publication of the final list of contesting candidates. Polling is scheduled for November 9, and will be conducted virtually, with detailed instructions to be issued separately.
