IOA Elections: Abhinav Bindra raises questions over SOM polls

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has made public his private correspondence with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), raising questions over an apparent inconsistency between the body's Constitution and the electoral rules governing the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections.Bindra's decision to release the letter comes amid growing scrutiny of the IOA's electoral processes following the controversial SOM elections on November 9. His October 31 correspondence with IOA president P.T. Usha and CEO Raghuram Iyer had also been referenced in recent media reports, promng him to publish the letter in its entirety to clarify its intent and context.In a post on X on Thursday, Bindra said his letter had been written before the elections in the spirit of constructive engagement and with the larger interests of Indian sport in mind.He had sought clarification over an apparent inconsistency between Article 3.7 of the IOA Constitution and the recently notified rules governing the election of SOM representatives."While I received an indication of which rules were being followed, the underlying constitutional question remained unanswered. To date, I have received no substantive clarification from either the Electoral Officer or the IOA leadership," Bindra wrote.Unfortunately, my private correspondence with the Indian Olympic Association has found its way into the public domain. Given the references to it in recent media reports, I thought it appropriate to my letter of in its entirety, so that its intent and context are clear. The letter was written before the elections, in a spirit of constructive engagement and with the larger interests of Indian sport at heart. I had raised a specific question concerning an apparent inconsistency between the IOA Constitution and the electoral rules. While I received an indication of which rules were being followed, the underlying constitutional question remained unanswered. To date, I have received no substantive clarification from either the Electoral Officer or the IOA leadership. My intention was never to question individuals or influence an electoral outcome. It was, and remains, to encourage greater clarity, transparency and confidence in our institutions. I have always believed that the strength of an institution lies not in the absence of questions, but in its willingness to address them. As India looks towards an increasingly ambitious future in world sport, the credibility of our institutions will be just as important as the achievements of our athletes. Strong governance is not merely an administrative necessity; it is the foundation upon which lasting sporting progress is built. My sincere hope is that we move forward with a shared commitment to constitutional clarity, fairness and integrity in all our institutional and electoral processes. These principles must never depend on individuals or outcomes. Ultimately, the credibility of our sporting institutions rests not merely on the decisions they make, but on the fairness and integrity of the processes through which those decisions are reached. Indian sport deserves nothing less.— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) November 12, 2026 The SOM elections saw IOA president Usha finish fifth in the women's category with 40 votes, missing out on one of the four positions in the General Assembly. Anju Bobby George, R Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Saina Nehwal secured the four positions.The men's category saw four candidates elected unopposed after eight of the 12 contenders withdrew from the race. Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt, Vijender Singh and Kamlesh Mehta secured the four positions.The elections have since come under scrutiny, with Usha approaching the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seeking an independent examination of alleged violations during the electoral process.Bindra, however, clarified that his intervention was not intended to question individuals or influence the outcome of the elections. He said his objective was to encourage greater clarity, transparency and confidence in India's sporting institutions."I have always believed that the strength of an institution lies not in the absence of questions, but in its willingness to address them," he wrote.The former Olympic champion also stressed the importance of strong governance as India looks towards a more ambitious future in international sport, adding that institutional credibility would be just as important as the achievements of its athletes.He called for a shared commitment to constitutional clarity, fairness and integrity in institutional and electoral processes, arguing that the credibility of sporting orgsations depended not only on their decisions but also on the fairness of the processes through which those decisions were reached.The IOA Executive Council elections for the 2026-2030 term are scheduled for December 5. The elected SOM representatives will be part of the IOA General Assembly and will have the right to vote and contest in the upcoming elections."Indian sport deserves nothing less," Bindra concluded.