New Delhi, November 14 (Agency)
Five-time world champion boxer MC Mary Kom, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Olympian Shiva Keshavan were elected unopposed as members of the IOA Athletes Commission in the elections held here on Monday. The 10 sportspersons selected in the commission include Tokyo Olympics silver medalist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Gagan Narang, table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal, hockey player Rani Rampal, swordsman Bhavani Devi, rower Bajrang Lal and former shotput player O.P. include whining. Five out of ten players are women and all are Olympians. Only Keshavan is a Winter Olympian.
Only ten players had filed their nominations and IOA election officer Umesh Sinha declared all of them elected unopposed. India’s first Olympic individual gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra and former hockey captain Sardar Singh will join the commission as members of the International Olympic Committee and the Asian Olympic Council.
Under the new constitution of the Indian Olympic Association, the commission should have an equal number of female and male representatives. Keshavan said, ‘This is a historic moment. For the first time in the history of IOA, we will have an Athletes’ Commission. Our first meeting is on Tuesday, in which it will be known who will be the president and vice-president.
