Former union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur unanimously elected as President of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, October 5: Anurag Thakur has been unanimously elected as the President of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association during the Annual General Meeting on Sunday. The AGM of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association was held with overwhelming participation and enthusiasm from members across the state. The meeting was a significant occasion, as a new team of office bearers was elected for the next term of the Association. During the AGM meeting, Anurag Thakur was unanimously elected as the President of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association. The newly elected Executive Committee consists of 17 members. Anurag has previously served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 2015 to 2017. After his stint with the BCCI ended, he served as union Minister of Sports from 2021 to 2024. Outgoing President Virendra Kanwar was unanimously nominated as the Chief Patron of the HPOA. MLA Balbir Verma was appointed as the Senior Vice President. Rajesh Bhandari and Amitabh Sharma have been appointed as the General Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. While Balbir has been appointed as the Senior VP of the HPOA, Ishwar Rohal, Usha Barowalia, and Narendra Atri will serve as Vice Presidents. Raj Kumar Nittu, Rahul Pathania and Ramesh Chauhan have been named as the Joint Secretaries. Addressing the gathering, President Anurag Thakur outlined the key priorities of the Association. He emphasised strengthening sports infrastructure across the state, increasing the number of qualified coaches to train athletes in all Olympic sports. He also underscored the importance of promoting grassroots participation to nurture young talent and building a self-reliant model for the development and management of Olympic sports in Himachal Pradesh. He also highlighted Himachal Pradesh's unique potential as a natural hub for high-altitude and endurance sports. He emphasised that sports should be given special priority in the state's sports development agenda. Anurag also congratulated all the newly elected office bearers. He expressed confidence that the team would work collectively for the betterment of sports in Himachal Pradesh, ensuring a transparent, effective, and visionary sports administration.