Bajrang Punia Calls for Investigation into Harassment Allegations Against Coach

Olympic medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has urged for a prompt and impartial inquiry into accusations of mental harassment and abusive language directed at Dronacharya Award-winning javelin coach Naval Singh by para-athletes. Punia emphasized that athletes should focus on their performance rather than facing mistreatment.
Among the complainants is two-time Paralympic Games medallist Sumit Antil, a prominent javelin thrower in India, who, along with others, reported instances of harassment and verbal abuse by coach Naval Singh to the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The complaint, lodged on April 10, was escalated to SAI and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) after Antil, the primary complainant, highlighted the issue. Allegations included verbal abuse, humiliation, and mental harassment by the coach, prompting Antil to take action.
Antil, a gold medallist at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics, disclosed that he had previously sought intervention from SAI officials regarding the coach’s behavior, but no action had been taken despite multiple complaints.
In response to the allegations, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) promptly terminated the services of Dronacharya Awardee coach Naval Singh following the harassment claims.