Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has terminated the services of coach Naval Singh with immediate effect after Paralympic gold-medallist Sumit Antil accused the Dronacharya awardee of mental harassment and verbal abuse in a complaint to the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
In a letter dated on Friday but not addressed to any particular individual, PCI president Devendra Jhajharia said Naval has been removed from all Paralympic Committee activities.
“On receiving complaints from Paralympic medallist Mr. Sumit Antil and several others regarding alleged misconduct, inappropriate behaviour, and harassment by coach Mr. Naval Singh, the matter was carefully reviewed. The complaints were duly examined, and the athletes were given a fair opportunity to present their concerns,” the letter said.
READ | Sumit Antil, Neeraj Chopra accuse senior coach of harassment and using abusive language
“Because the allegations were serious and there was initial evidence of misconduct, the Paralympic Committee of India held an emergency meeting… After reviewing the oral hearings and written complaints, and considering the seriousness of the concerns and the need to protect athletes’ interests and maintain proper standards, the Committee found that the alleged conduct did not meet expected standards.
“Therefore, the Committee unanimously decided to terminate the services of coach Naval Singh with immediate effect and remove him from all Paralympic Committee activities,” Jhajharia wrote in the letter.
Strangely, some PCI officials said that Naval Singh has not been a para athletics coach since 2025 and he has been associated only with able-bodied javelin thrower Sachin Yadav who had finished fourth at the World Championships in Tokyo last year.
“Since 2025, Naval Singh is not designated as the coach of Para Athletics by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). This, we have clarified to the ministry,” a PCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
