Virender Kanwar Elected President of VFI

Virender Kanwar has been named the new President of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI). His election took place in New Delhi on June 8 and was overseen by representatives from international and national sports bodies, including the FIVB, the Indian Olympic Association, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Key observers present included Steve Tutton, Stephen Bock, and Hitesh Malhotra from the FIVB; Kunwar Sultan Singh representing the Indian Olympic Association; and Assistant Secretary Banga Raju on behalf of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The electoral process was managed by the Volleyball Federation of India`s Ad Hoc Committee. This committee, responsible for overseeing the VFI`s operations and ensuring the election occurred, consisted of Mr. Rohit Rajpal (Chair), Alaknanda Ashok, S. Gopinath Nair, and Stephen Bock.

The newly formed Executive Committee includes several other key individuals: Ramanand Choudhary serves as Secretary General, N.V. Hanumanth Reddy and Sushanta Biswa Sarma are Vice Presidents, Hari Singh Chauhan is the Treasurer, and Anand Shanker Rajhans and Kuldeep Vats hold positions as Joint Secretaries. Binoy Joseph, Mithlesh Kumar Singh, Partha Das, S. Ramadasse, and Uttam Raj were elected as Executive Members. The committee will be further completed by four athlete representatives elected at a later stage.

This newly elected body will function on an interim basis. A Steering Committee, jointly established by the FIVB and IOA, will collaborate with this temporary leadership for a defined period to facilitate a smooth transition. The members of the Steering Committee are:

1. Mr. Rohit Rajpal, member of the IOA Executive Council
2. Mr. Stephen Bock, FIVB Head of Legal and General Counsel
3. Mr. Hitesh Malhotra, FIVB Head of Volleyball Empowerment and NF Relations.

Among its key responsibilities, the new VFI leadership must propose amendments to the VFI constitution, as well as the constitutions of State and District Associations. These changes are necessary to align the rules with the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011. A detailed report outlining the timeline for these constitutional amendments must be submitted to the Court.

Furthermore, an Interim Athletes’ Commission needs to be formed within four weeks following the election, in line with Indian legal requirements. This Commission will be responsible for overseeing the election of athlete representatives, who are designated to fill 25 percent of the Executive Committee positions.