Sindhu, Mirabai in IOA electoral roll; Lovepreet’s doping past raises questions

NEW DELHI: Olympic and world medallists PV Sindhu and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu headline a star-studded list of athletes cleared to contest the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes’ Commission elections on Nov 3, with weightlifter Lovepreet Singh’s doping past raising questions over his inclusion.The final electoral roll, approved by returning officer Sanjay K Srivastava, IAS (retd), also features Asian Games gold-winning hockey captains Harmanpreet Singh and Salima Tete, shooting sensation Neeru Dhanda, archery veterans Abhishek Verma and L Bombayla Devi, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, badminton's Kidambi Srikanth, fencer C A Bhavani Devi, rugby captain Nasser Aga Hussain and wrestler Aman Sehrawat.However, Lovepreet’s inclusion has drawn scrutiny. He tested positive for a prohibited substance at the senior Nationals meet in Visakhapatnam in Feb 2019 and was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in July that year. He later returned to competition, featuring at the 2022 CCWG in Birmingham.The Athletes' Commission eligibility declaration states: “I have never been sanctioned for a violation under the WADA Code or the NADA Act, 2022 or for a breach of any applicable integrity regulation”. His inclusion raises questions over the Indian Weightlifting Federation's (IWLF) nomination of his name and there's a high possibility that the electoral officer will cancel his eligibility and seek a fresh name.The draft roll, published on Oct 12, listed nominations from 19 NSFs. The final list has 17, with the Basketball Federation of India’s nominees Ram Kumar Gahlawat and Manisha Satyajit Dange, and the Kabaddi federation’s Balwan Singh and Mamatha, excluded.Of the 34 NSFs listed as IOA members, only 17 have nominees in the final roll. They are archery, athletics, badminton, bowling, cycling, fencing, handball, hockey, kayaking and canoeing, netball, rowing, rugby, shooting, squash, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.The elections will determine athlete representation in the IOA’s Athletes’ Commission.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.