Legendary sprinter P.T. Usha has been elected as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The deadline to file the nomination papers for the IOA elections ended yesterday.

Cabinet Minister Kiren Rijiju took to social media to congratulate the veteran athlete on her new appointment in the IOA.

“Congratulations to legendary Golden Girl, Smt. P T Usha on being elected as the President of Indian Olympic Association. I also congratulate all the sporting heroes of our country on becoming the office bearers of the prestigious IOA! Nation is proud of them!,” posted Rijiju on his Twitter account.

Earlier, Usha confirmed through Twitter that she would be filing the nomination for the post of IOA’s President.

“With the warm support of my Fellow Athletes and National Federations I am humbled and honoured to accept and file for the Nomination of the President Of IOA!,” Usha tweeted.

Usha is considered as one of the best Indian athletes of all-time but is most remembered for missing out on a medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics 400m hurdles final, where she was beaten by Romania’s Cristieana Cojocaru by one hundredth of a second.

Usha is one of the most decorated Indian athletes ever, having won 11 medals, including four golds in the Asian Games from 1982 and 1994. She also bagged four gold medals at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, winning the 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay events. Usha also won medals in the 100m and 200m events in the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games.

The legendary sprinter will become the first sportsperson to have represented the country and also become IOA Chief since Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, who played a Test match in 1934. Yadavindra Singh was the third IOA President who held office from 1938 to 1960.