Asian Games gold winner Bahadur Sagoo to succeed Sumariwalla as AFI chief

Chandigarh, Jan 6 (PTI) Asian Games gold medallist shot putter Bahadur Singh Sagoo will be elected unopposed as the president of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) here on Tuesday, succeeding the long-serving Adille Sumariwalla for the top post.

The 51-year-old Sagoo won a shot put gold in the 2002 Busan Asian Games and also took part in 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He is a member of the outgoing executive council as an Athletes Commission representative.

He is also a member of the senior selection committee.

Sagoo is the lone candidate left in the fray after incumbent senior vice president Anju Bobby George opted out of the race for the top post. Anju will, however, remain as the senior vice president for a second term.

The first agenda item of the two-day AGM is the appointment of the new AFI office bearers for the next four years.

Sagoo had won the men’s shot put gold in the 2002 Asian Games with a throw of 19.03m. He has a lifetime best of 20.40m, and is also a Padma Shri recipient.

There will also be no elections for the remaining posts, just like it happened during the last AGM in 2020.

Delhi unit’s top official Sandeep Mehta will be elected unopposed as the AFI secretary. He was the senior joint secretary in the outgoing executive council.

Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, who won 800m and 1500m gold in the 1998 Asian Games, will be the joint secretary and Stanely Jones of Telangana will be elected the treasurer. Sikdar was also a member of the outgoing executive council as an Athletes Commission representative.

Among the new executive committee members will be Sudha Singh, who won 3000m steeplechase gold in 2010 Asian Games, former 100m national record holder Rachita Mistry, Harjinder Singh and Priyanka Bhanot — daughter of AFI Planning Commission Chairman Lalit Bhanot.

The 67-year-old Sumariwalla has served as AFI president since 2012 and he is not eligible to contest elections this time under the existing National Sports Code.

His stewardship of the AFI saw Neeraj Chopra win a historic gold and a silver in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics respectively.

Sumariwalla is currently a member of the powerful executive board of World Athletics.

The AFI has invited an observer from the international body, World Athletics, for the AGM.