On December 10, 2022, the legendary P.T. Usha was elected as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), ushering in a new era of the country’s sports administration. The IOA was warned of a possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if elections were not held in December 2022 as the polls were due to be held since December 2021.
Usha, who had joined the Rajya Sabha backed by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) emerged as the lone candidate for the top post. Nobody was willing to fight against Ms. Usha fondly known as the ‘Payyoli Express’. The Asian Games gold medallist and fourth-place finisher in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics 400m hurdles final, was declared elected unopposed.
She also became the first Olympian and first international medallist to head the IOA in its 95-year-old history, adding another feather in her cap after dominating Indian and Asian athletics for two decades before retiring in 2000 with a bagful of international medals.
