Will the Volleyball Federation of India Revitalize Leadership on June 7?

New Delhi, June 6 (NationPress) The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) is poised to conduct its long-anticipated elections at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium this Sunday, following a mandate from the Delhi High Court. This event represents a pivotal moment in reinstating a democratically elected leadership after a significant period of interim administration.

Sixty-six representatives from 33 states and Union Territories affiliated with the VFI will participate in the voting process to select a new governing body. A total of 29 candidates are campaigning for 12 prominent roles, which include five seats on the Executive Committee. The positions up for grabs include: President (1), Vice Presidents (2), Secretary General (1), Treasurer (1), Joint Secretaries (2), and Executive Committee Members (5).

The contest for the presidency features candidates Anand Shankar Rajhans (Bihar), Prem Singh Bajor (Nagaland), and Virender Kanwar (Himachal Pradesh). The race for Secretary-General includes Mohammad Akram Khan (Chhattisgarh), Nilesh Vishnu Jagat (Maharashtra), and Ramanand Choudhary (Rajasthan). For the Treasurer's position, Hari Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) and Prakash Borah (Assam) will compete, while six candidates vie for the two Joint Secretary roles and eleven for the five Executive Committee positions.

Voting hours are set from 11 am to 3 pm, with vote counting commencing at 3:30 pm. This election is being administrated by Justice P. Krishna Bhat (Retd.), who has been appointed as the Returning Officer by the court. To ensure complete transparency, official observers from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) will oversee the election process.

Present for the elections will be an FIVB Delegation that includes: Steve Tutton, FIVB General Sports Director; Stephen Bock, FIVB Head of Legal and General Counsel; and Hitesh Malhotra, FIVB Head of Volleyball Empowerment and NF Relations.

Reflecting on the interim period, Rohit Rajpal, Chairman of the VFI Ad-hoc Committee, stated, “In the absence of an elected body, the Ad-hoc Committee worked tirelessly to uphold stability and foster advancements in Indian volleyball. A significant milestone has been the creation of a Centre of Excellence under the FIVB Empowerment Program, which has seen four elite international coaches assigned by the FIVB to train Indian players and domestic coaches.”

He further expressed, “India’s recent silver medal at the CAVA Men’s Nations League—achieved after victories over Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan—marks a monumental accomplishment. Our international ranking has surged from 168 to approximately 45. The women’s team also clinched gold at the CAVA Championship in Nepal. These outcomes highlight the immense talent present in India and the dedicated, systematic efforts made by the Ad-hoc Committee to elevate Indian volleyball on the global stage.”