The Paralympic Committee of India has terminated Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh following serious allegations of mental harassment and abusive behaviour levelled by Paralympic champion Sumit Antil.
PCI president Devendra Jhajharia confirmed that the decision was taken by the board with immediate effect.
Antil, a two-time Paralympic medallist, had filed a formal complaint with the Sports Authority of India, accusing the veteran coach of repeated verbal abuse, humiliation, and mental harassment. The complaint, submitted on April 10, was backed by several leading athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
Also Read: Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil file complaint over harassment allegations against coach Naval Singh
According to Antil, he had earlier approached SAI officials, including Deputy Director Arunlal and TOPS CEO Nash Johal, seeking intervention. However, he chose to formally escalate the matter after rejecting attempts at a compromise.
The complaint also highlighted concerns raised by other athletes, who alleged a pattern of abusive language and behaviour from the coach during training.
Naval Singh, who was conferred the Dronacharya Award in 2015, has been a prominent figure in Indian athletics, having trained several national-level javelin throwers, including Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth at the 2025 World Championships.
Bajrang Punia calls for ‘swift and fair’ probe
Reacting to the controversy, Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia urged authorities to ensure a transparent and timely investigation into the matter.
“The allegations of mental harassment made by Sumit Antil are extremely serious. Our champions should be sweating it out on the field, not grappling with systemic abuse. I appeal to officials for a swift and fair investigation so that the truth comes to light,” Punia said.