Neeraj Chopra, two-time Olympic medalist, was named in an unprecedented six women-featuring Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Athletes Commission, to be led by World Championships bronze medalist Anju Bobby George.
Runner Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, discus thrower Krishna Poonia, hurdler MD Valsamma, steeplechaser Sudha Singh, and runner Sunita Rani are the other former Indian athletes in the new panel.
Their inclusion is a significant step towards AFI’s quest for gender parity in its setup.
The two other male members include newly-elected AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo, a shot put gold medal winner at the 2002 Asian Games and chairman of the previous commission, and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable.
Outgoing AFI treasurer Madhu Kant Pathak, who was the returning officer for the elections, said the polls were held after following due process.