Will former track star PT Usha weather the IOA storm or quit her post?

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Battle-weary former track star PT Usha has endured it all to excel on the track at the continental and world levels in the past. It's intriguing that she hasn't been able to carry on the same success in managing people from diverse backgrounds to run the affairs of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) smoothly.

On Friday, speculation ran rife that she might soon have to step down from her position as president of the country's apex sports body. The IOA's Special General Meeting, originally scheduled for October 25, has been postponed to November 10. The main agenda includes a no-confidence motion against the IOA president.

Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and joint secretary of the IOA, has been given the additional responsibility of acting CEO of the IOA. Differences between Usha and more than 10 members of the executive council have escalated to the point where both factions have been airing their grievances publicly.

Since the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, held from July 26 to August 11, tensions between members of the IOA's executive council and Usha have been reported across newspapers and social media platforms.

The root cause of the dispute between Usha and other executive council members centers around the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a monthly salary of Rs 25 lakh, which was not approved by the executive council members.

"She (Usha) is too adamant regarding the appointment of the IOA's CEO. The issue has stalled other day-to-day functions of the apex sports body in the country," one of the executive council members told Mykhel on Friday. "She (Usha) will walk out of meetings if her opinion is not heard. It's ridiculous. She is on one side, and more than 10 members of the executive council are on the other."

Even the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken note of the dispute between the IOA president and other members. The IOC has temporarily halted funding for the Olympic Solidarity Programme in India. "The Olympic Solidarity Programme has come to a halt in India. It's a serious matter," remarked another executive council member of the IOA.

After the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the IOA was expected to deliberate on the performance of the Indian contingent, but instead, everyone is preoccupied with issues unrelated to sports, said a senior IOA member. "It's a sad state of affairs," he added.