By Ratnajyoti Dutta
Nagoya, Japan, 4 Oct: Indian shooter Rajeshwari Kumari has been unanimously elected as a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Athletes Commission, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement on Sunday.
Kumari becomes the second Indian to serve on the OCA Athletes Commission after Vice-Chairman Shiva Keshavan. She will represent athletes from South Asia on the commission.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled by this recognition. I am sincerely grateful to the Indian Olympic Association, its President, Dr PT Usha, and the IOA for placing their trust in me,” Kumari said in a statement issued by the IOA.
Kumari, popularly known as Ria, won a silver medal in the women’s trap event at the 2023 Asian Games and represented India at the Paris Olympic Games. Her election adds an Indian athlete’s voice to the OCA body responsible for representing athletes within the Asian Olympic movement.
The OCA Athletes Commission provides a platform for athletes to contribute to discussions concerning their participation and interests within the Asian Games and wider Olympic movement. Kumari said she understood the aspirations and challenges of athletes through her own competitive experience and looked forward to strengthening the voice of athletes and serving the Olympic Movement with “integrity”.
