Paralympic Committee of India terminates Naval Singh amid abuse complaints

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has terminated the services of Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh with immediate effect following serious allegations of mental harassment and verbal abuse made by Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil .

In an official communication issued by PCI president Devendra Jhajharia , the committee said the decision was taken after receiving complaints from Antil and other athletes. The matter was reviewed in an emergency meeting , where athletes were given an opportunity to present their concerns before the committee.

According to PCI, the allegations were considered serious in nature , and a preliminary review indicated possible misconduct. The committee noted that the behaviour complained of did not meet the expected professional standards in high performance sport environments. After examining written submissions and hearing the athletes, PCI unanimously decided to remove Naval Singh from all Paralympic Committee related activities with immediate effect.

Sumit Antil, a two time Paralympic gold medallist and one of India’s leading javelin throwers in the F64 category, alleged that the coach subjected him and other athletes to mental harassment and abusive behaviour. He also claimed that the coach made inappropriate remarks involving athletes’ families and attempted to disturb their training environment. Antil further stated that his complaint was supported by Neeraj Chopra, Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary , and was formally submitted to the Sports Authority of India.

While PCI acted on the complaint, some officials clarified that Naval Singh had not been officially associated with para athletics coaching since 2025 and was currently working with an able bodied javelin athlete under a national coaching arrangement. The Sports Authority of India also stated that he is not its employee and is engaged through arrangements linked to the Athletics Federation of India.

Naval Singh, a Dronacharya awardee (2015) , remains a well known figure in Indian javelin coaching. The case has sparked wider discussion on athlete safety and coaching accountability in elite sport. PCI said the action was taken to ensure athlete welfare and maintain proper standards.