BENGALURU: Two-time Olympian shot-putter Bahadur Singh Sagoo is tipped to take over as the new president of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) at the Annual General body meeting of the national body scheduled in Chandigarh next week.
According to sources, Bahadur's name came to the front after legendary long jump star Anju Bobby George opted out citing personal reasons to not take over the mantle from Adille Sumariwalla who had led the body for the last 12 years.
“The last date for filing the nominations is over and only one person remains in the fray for the president's post. Bahadur will be formally elected as the new president of the AFI on the first day of the AGM on January 7 with the elections scheduled in the very first session,” sources told TOI.
The 51-year-old 2002 Asian Games gold medallist also represented India at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri by former president APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006.
Sagoo's name figures in the list representing the AFI's athlete commission along with former middle- and long-distance runner Sudha Singh. He is likely to be assisted by a team of office bearers including Sandep Mehta (Delhi) and BE Stanley Jones (Telangana).
Among the names doing the rounds to join the Executive Committee include Priyanka Bhanot (Delhi) and A Rajavelu (Karnataka). The new team will lead the AFI for the next four years till 2029.
The notice for the meeting was first circulated by AFI secretary Ravinder Chaudhry on December 22.
Besides the elections, the AGM will also clear the national athletics calendar for the new year. Sources also said the national body will also take a strict stand against doping.
“The meeting is expected to propose strong measures to curb the growing menace of doping which has already brought bad name to Indian athletics,” sources added.
