New Delhi [India], January 7: Bahadur Singh Sagoo has been elected as the new President of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) during the federation’s Annual General Assembly Meeting in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
The Asian Games shot put medallist takes over from Adille Sumariwalla, who had served as AFI President for over a decade, since 2012. Sagoo, a former Asian Games gold medallist in shot put and two-time national champion, is stepping into a key leadership role. The 51-year-old won the gold in the 2002 Busan Asian Games and competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, with his personal best throw of 20.40m coming in 2004 in Kyiv.
In addition to Sagoo’s election, Sandeep Mehta, who previously held the position of Senior Joint Secretary, was elected as the new Secretary of AFI during the AGM.
Under Sumariwalla’s leadership, India achieved significant milestones in athletics, with Neeraj Chopra becoming a standout athlete. Chopra won back-to-back Olympic medals in javelin throw, including a historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics and a silver at the Paris Olympics.
As the new president, Sagoo will have a busy agenda, with India set to host the World Athletics Continental Tour for the first time on August 10, 2025. The bronze-level Continental Tour event, named the ‘Indian Open,’ will be held in Bhubaneswar and is part of a series of prestigious track and field competitions that come just below the Diamond League in global rankings.