Sumariwalla elected AFI chief for third term, Anju named senior VP

Adille Sumariwalla’s election unopposed as the AFI president for a third term was ratified on Day 1 of the federation’s AGM on Saturday.

The coming four-year term (2020-2024) will be Adille Sumariwalla's last as AFI president as the National Sports Code of 2011 allows only three continuous terms as head of a national sports federation. He was first elected as AFI chief in 2012.

As expected, Adille Sumariwalla’s election unopposed as the AFI president for a third term was ratified on Day 1 of the federation’s AGM here on Saturday, as were all the other posts in the Executive Council. But the focus of the meeting remained firmly on preparations for the Tokyo Olympics next year and curbing doping and age-fraud at all levels.

While admitting that COVID-19 related uncertainty and anxiety needed to be handled seriously and sensitively, the AFI sought more proactive measures from states and districts on ensuring resumption of training.

However, with most of the elite athletes already in training at SAI Centres across the country, the AFI also expressed concern at the lack of information and a clear roadmap for training in the coming months. The AFI also sought details of injuries and progress of those at Patiala including shot-putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor, Neeraj Chopra and Hima Das.

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Meanwhile, with no contests for any of the posts, all nominations were confirmed unanimously, including that of Ravinder Chaudhary as secretary of the Athletics Federation of India and Anju Bobby George as the senior vice-president.

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Besides Anju, the 2003 long jump bronze medallist at the World Championships — India’s lone medallist till date in the competition — the other women elected to the Executive Council include former long-distance runner Suman Rawat Mehta (vice-president), former middle-distance runner C. Latha (joint secretary) and A. Hyma (member), as per the amended AFI constitution. The outgoing EC had no elected woman member.