SFI Holds Athlete Commission Elections at Ahmedabad Nationals — Sajan Prakash Among Nine Nominees
The Swimming Federation of India is conducting Athlete Commission elections at the 79th Senior Nationals in Ahmedabad. Nine swimmers including double Olympian Sajan Prakash and national record holder Chahat Arora have filed valid nominations.
Ahmedabad, 18 June 2026 — The Swimming Federation of India is conducting elections for its Athlete Commission on the sidelines of the 79th Senior National Aquatics Championships in Ahmedabad, with voting scheduled from 9 AM to 12 noon daily between 17 and 19 June 2026.
Nine swimmers have filed valid nominations for the swimming discipline, headlined by double Olympian and Arjuna Award recipient Sajan Prakash. Other nominees include national record holder Chahat Arora, and active competitors at this championship — Aneesh S Gowda, Harshitha Jayaram, Anshul Kothari and Likith SS — making it a uniquely live election, with candidates racing in the pool and seeking votes on the same day.
The full list of valid nominations for the swimming discipline, as confirmed by Returning Officer Pramod Kamat in a notice dated 9 June 2026, is as follows: Sajan Prakash, Anshul Kothari, Aneesh S Gowda, Dhyan Balakrishna, Harshitha Jayaram, Chahat Arora, Mandar Divase, Puneet Rana, and Likith SS.
For diving, three candidates have been nominated: Utkarsh Joshi, Rajyaguru Keyur Nileshbhai, and Esha Krishna Waghmode. For water polo, the nominees are Nagaraj KV, Sanjli Rajendra Wankhade, and Shibinlal SS.
What Is an Athletes Commission?
An Athletes Commission is a formal body within a sports federation that gives athletes a direct voice in governance decisions — from selection policy and competition calendars to athlete welfare and anti-doping frameworks. World Aquatics mandates such commissions as part of federation compliance. For Indian swimming, a credible, active Athletes Commission could mark a meaningful shift from administrator-led governance to one where swimmers have a seat at the table.
The presence of active competitors — several of whom are racing at these very championships — among the nominees adds a distinctive dimension to this election. Sajan Prakash, a two-time Olympian and the most decorated active Indian swimmer, brings both profile and credibility to the ballot. Chahat Arora, the national record holder in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke, represents the women’s competitive cohort.
SFI Response
SwimmingDrive wrote to SFI seeking details on the election outcome, the Commission’s terms of reference, and its powers within the federation’s governance structure. Monal Chokshi, responding on behalf of SFI, confirmed: “The election for the SFI Athletes Commission is underway. Notice of election and valid nominations are available on our website and social media. The Athletes Commission will function as per the provisions of the Sports Governance Act of 2025 and World Aquatics charter. Both documents are available in the public domain at respective websites.”
Two points from the response are significant. First, the reference to the Sports Governance Act of 2025 — a relatively new piece of legislation that governs how national sports federations in India must structure their athlete representation bodies. Second, the alignment with the World Aquatics charter, which mandates that athletes have formal representation in federation governance. SwimmingDrive will continue to follow this story as the election concludes and the Commission is formally constituted.
