Rajeshwari Kumari Elected to Olympic Council of Asia Athlete Committee

Nagoya, October 4 (Daily Kiran) : Rajeshwari Kumari, a former trap shooter from India, has been elected to the Athlete Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) without opposition. This announcement came after the elections held during the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

Nominated by the OCA Executive Board to represent the South Asian region, Rajeshwari becomes the second Indian on the committee, following Shiva Keshavan, the vice-chairman. She will now represent athletes from South Asia.

A silver medalist in women’s trap at the 2023 Asian Games, Rajeshwari has also represented India at the Paris Olympic Games. Expressing her gratitude, she stated, “I feel honored and humbled by this recognition. I sincerely thank the Indian Olympic Association, its President P.T. Usha, and the IOA for their trust and nomination for this prestigious honor. I am equally grateful to the Olympic Council of Asia and the Athlete Commission for believing in me and considering me worthy of this responsibility. This means a lot to me personally. I accept it with humility, gratitude, and a deep sense of duty.”

Rajeshwari emphasized her understanding of the hopes, challenges, and dreams behind every athlete’s journey, drawing from her own experiences. She expressed eagerness to contribute with integrity and commitment, aiming to amplify athletes’ voices and serve the Olympic movement sincerely.

The newly elected members include Amir Mamuratov from Kazakhstan, Reem Al Sharshani from Qatar, Naoto Tobe from Japan, and Thanyalak Chofibunsin from Thailand. Together with Rajeshwari, they will join the existing members of the OCA Athlete Committee, representing athletes from various regions.

The committee is set to launch its activities for the new term from 2026 to 2030, focusing on strengthening athlete representation and ensuring that athletes’ voices contribute to the development of sports in Asia.

During the elections, which took place from September 20 to October 2, a total of 5,215 votes were cast at polling stations located in the athletes’ village and various hotels.