Former India rugby captain Nasser Hussain elected to Rugby India general body with 39 of 40 votes

Former India rugby captain Nasser Hussain has been elected a Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit (SOM). He received 39 of 40 votes at the recent general body meeting of Rugby India, the Indian Rugby Football Union.

Hussain had an international career spanning 17 years and is regarded as having made a significant contribution to Indian rugby. He represented India between 1998 and 2014, and captained the national team for ten consecutive years, from 2004 to 2013. Across rugby sevens and rugby fifteens, he has played 142 matches for India.

As captain, he led the Indian team at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, the 2010 Asian Games in China and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He is among the rugby players with the most appearances for India. In rugby fifteens he has scored 18 tries and tops the list of players with the most tries for the country.

Among men, Thimayya M. P. also received 28 votes and was elected. In the women's category, Avani Sabde and Surabhi Surendra Date received 34 votes each and were both elected.

Under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 and the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026, the general body of a national sports body must have at least four SOM representatives. The rules provide for equal representation of men and women. The reforms aim to increase the participation of athletes in sports administration and to strengthen transparency and accountability.

The SOM category allows retired players to be elected as members with the right to vote in the general body of a national sports federation. This lets players take part directly in decisions on sports administration. All four SOM members elected to the Rugby India general body will exercise the right to vote.

Known for his strategy and pace on the field, Hussain is the son of Agha Hussain, a former president of Asia Rugby and founder and former vice-president of Rugby India. Following in his father's footsteps, he has now taken on a new responsibility in rugby administration.