Volleyball Federation of India to hold elections on June 7 amid push for reforms and growth

New Delhi, June 6 The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) is set to conduct its long-awaited elections at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, following a directive from the Delhi High Court. This marks a crucial step toward restoring a democratically elected leadership after a period of interim governance.

A total of 66 representatives from 33 states and Union Territories affiliated with VFI will vote to elect a new governing body. In all 29 candidates are contesting for 12 key positions, including five seats on the Executive Committee. These include: President (1), Vice Presidents (2), Secretary General (1), Treasurer (1), Joint Secretaries (2), and Executive Committee Members (5).

The presidential race will see Anand Shankar Rajhans (Bihar), Prem Singh Bajor (Nagaland), and Virender Kanwar (Himachal Pradesh) face off. For the Secretary-General, the candidates include Mohammad Akram Khan (Chhattisgarh), Nilesh Vishnu Jagat (Maharashtra), and Ramanand Choudhary (Rajasthan). Hari Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) and Prakash Borah (Assam) will contest for Treasurer, with six candidates in the fray for the two Joint Secretary posts and eleven for the five Executive Committee positions.

Voting will be conducted from 11 am to 3 pm, followed by counting at 3:30 pm. The election is being overseen by Justice P. Krishna Bhat (Retd.), appointed as the Returning Officer by the court. To ensure full transparency, official observers from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) will monitor the proceedings.

The FIVB Delegation present for the elections will include: Steve Tutton, FIVB General Sports Director, Stephen Bock, FIVB Head of Legal and General Counsel; and Hitesh Malhotra, FIVB Head of Volleyball Empowerment and NF Relations.

Reflecting on the interim phase, Rohit Rajpal, Chairman of the VFI Ad-hoc Committee, said, “In the absence of an elected body, the Ad-hoc Committee worked relentlessly to maintain stability and drive progress in Indian volleyball. A key highlight has been the establishment of a Centre of Excellence under the FIVB Empowerment Program, which has seen four top international coaches deputed by FIVB to train both Indian players and domestic coaches.”

He further added, “India’s recent silver medal at the CAVA Men’s Nations League - after victories over Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan - marks a significant achievement. Our global ranking has jumped from 168 to an estimated 45. The women’s team also secured gold at the CAVA Championship in Nepal. These results are a testament to the talent pool in India and the sincere, structured efforts made by the Ad-hoc Committee to put Indian volleyball on the world map.”

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