Virender Kanwar elected as the President of Volleyball Federation of India

Virender Kanwar from Himachal Pradesh has been elected as the new president of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), narrowly edging out Prem Singh Bajor of Nagaland in a tightly contested election held by a directive from the Delhi High Court.

The polls are part of efforts to bring the federation in line with the National Sports Code and other necessary governance reforms.

Kanwar secured 33 votes, just two more than his closest rival, Bajor, while a third contender, Anand Shankar from Bihar, failed to garner any support. Rajasthan’s Ramanand Choudhary won the position of general secretary, receiving 33 votes and defeating Maharashtra’s Nilesh Jagtap by a margin of four.

The election marks the formation of an interim executive body that will oversee the implementation of reforms within the federation. This includes ensuring compliance with the Sports Code, forming an Athletes Commission, and introducing structural changes recommended by the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The court has mandated that the VFI provide regular updates on these developments.

Justice P. Krishna Bhat (Retd.) served as the Returning Officer for the election, which was closely monitored by representatives from the IOA, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

Speaking after his victory, President Kanwar stated, “As per the Court's directives, we are fully committed to implementing all necessary compliances under the Sports Code. We will soon convene an Annual General Meeting to make important decisions and work towards building a transparent and efficient federation.”

To assist the interim leadership, a three-member steering committee has been formed comprising Rohit Rajpal, Stephen Bock (FIVB representative), and Hitesh Malhotra (FIVB Head of Empowerment). This committee will help ensure continuity from the ad-hoc panel that previously managed VFI operations for over a year. Rajpal had also chaired that ad-hoc body.

Other key results:

Vice Presidents: Telangana’s N. V. Hanmanath and Assam’s Susanta Biswa both secured 36 votes to win the two vice-president positions.

Treasurer: Hari Singh Chauhan from Madhya Pradesh was elected to this role.

Joint Secretaries: The posts went to Anand Shankar and Kuldeep Vats.

Executive Committee Members: Binoy Josh, Mithlesh Kumar, Uttam Raj, S. Ramadasse, and Partha Das were elected.

The elections, originally scheduled for February 2024, were delayed due to legal proceedings. According to the court’s order, this newly formed body will operate on an interim basis until a final verdict on the electoral petitions is delivered and the necessary constitutional amendments are made within the federation.

FIVB’s involvement in Indian volleyball development has grown significantly, particularly with its support for establishing a Centre of Excellence under the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Rajpal emphasized the importance of the steering committee in sustaining this momentum: “The FIVB has made a significant investment in Indian volleyball over the past 15 months. The formation of this committee ensures that the progress achieved so far continues under proper oversight.”