The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has entrusted a big responsibility to Indian veteran boxer Mary Kom, who has won medals for India on the basis of her talent. The commission unanimously elected six-time world champion boxer as its chairperson on Tuesday.
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Significantly, Mary Kom has won many medals in her career. She is the only player in the world to win 8 medals in the World Championship. No male or female group has been able to show this feat till date. Along with this, she also won the bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic Games. Along with this, she has also been a Rajya Sabha member.
Meanwhile, the table tennis player Sharath Kamal, who recently has been honored with a Khel Ratna Award has been elected as its vice-chairman. According to the release, Returning Officer of IOA elections Umesh Sinha handed over the certificates to the newly elected President and Vice President. The SOMs along with the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Athletes' Commission will constitute the electoral college for the IOA President's election scheduled on December 10, 2022.
"The list constitutes eminent athletes including, Olympic Bronze Medalist and Padma Vibhushan boxer Mary Kom, Double Olympic medalist and Padma Bhushan awardee badminton ace PV Sindhu, Olympic medalist and Padma Shri shooter Gagan Narang, Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Padma Shri TT player Achanta Sharath Kamal, Olympian and CWG Gold medalist Padma Shri rower Bajrang Lal, Khel Ratna awardee and Olympic silver medalist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, Khel Ratna awardee and Olympian Rani Rampal, Asian Cup Gold winner and Olympian Shiva Keshavan, Olympian and CWG Fencing championship gold medalist and Arjuna Awardee Bhavani Devi and Om Prakash Karhana made it to the Athletes' Commission, uncontested," said a press release from IOA.
Five out of ten players are women and all are Olympians. Only Keshavan is a Winter Olympian. Only ten players had filed nominations and Umesh Sinha declared all of them elected unopposed.