FORMER UNION SPORTS MINISTER Anurag Thakur has been unanimously elected president of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association (HPOA) during its Annual General Meeting held on Sunday.
The newly elected Executive Committee comprises 17 members. Thakur, who previously served as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2015 to 2017, went on to become the Union Minister of Sports between 2021 and 2024.
Outgoing president Virendra Kanwar has been appointed as the chief patron of the Association, while MLA Balbir Verma takes on the role of senior vice president. Rajesh Bhandari and Amitabh Sharma have been named general secretary and treasurer, respectively.
In addition, Ishwar Rohal, Usha Barowalia, and Narendra Atri will serve as vice presidents, with Raj Kumar Nittu, Rahul Pathania, and Ramesh Chauhan appointed as joint secretaries.
Addressing the members after his election, Thakur outlined his vision for the Association, emphasising a renewed focus on strengthening sports infrastructure across Himachal Pradesh and expanding the pool of qualified coaches to train athletes in all Olympic disciplines. He also highlighted the need to promote grassroots participation to identify and nurture young talent, while advocating for a self-reliant, sustainable model for the development and management of Olympic sports in the state. Thakur further underscored Himachal Pradesh’s natural advantage as a hub for high-altitude and endurance sports, noting that the state’s geography offers a unique opportunity to cultivate athletes capable of excelling on the international stage.
