Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil allege harassment by Dronacharya Awardee coach Naval Singh
Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil has accused Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh of mental harassment and verbal abuse in a complaint submitted to the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Antil, supported by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, alleges that Singh’s conduct has been detrimental to athletes.
Antil, a gold medallist at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics, alleged that Naval had repeatedly targeted him and Neeraj Chopra, and claimed that the coach crossed professional boundaries by abusing their families.
“He mentally harassed us and abused our, as in mine and Neeraj’s, families. He seems mentally unstable,” Antil told PTI.
One of India’s leading medal hopes in the F64 category for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Antil said the situation escalated over time, forcing him to file a formal complaint with the authorities.
“He would deliberately share recordings of his abusive rants with our managers, so that they reach us.”
SAI acknowledged that it has received the complaint and said the matter is being taken up with the concerned federation. However, the body clarified that Naval Singh is not its employee and is currently engaged by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) as part of the National Coaching Camp.
“A complaint has been received from Sumit Antil, Paralympic Gold Medalist, alleging verbal abuse by Coach Mr. Naval Singh. The complaint has also been supported by other athletes, including Neeraj Chopra,” a SAI source said.
“The coach in question is not a SAI employee and is training another leading athlete as part of National Coaching Camp organised by AFI.”
Naval, who was conferred the Dronacharya Award in 2015, is currently coaching Sachin Yadav. Sachin had finished fourth at the World Championships last year, ahead of Neeraj Chopra, who placed eighth while managing an injury.
Antil said his complaint has also been endorsed by Neeraj Chopra and fellow para javelin throwers Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary.
“It has been a week since we complained to D G SAI (Hari Ranjan Rao) and CEO TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme). TOPS CEO (N S Johal) wanted us to (make a) compromise in the first hearing.”
“We ignored this matter for a long time but decided to complain after it became too much. I filed the complaint and Neeraj bhai, Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary endorsed it.”
Antil also questioned the response from the authorities after the complaint was filed.
“Point is if athletes of our stature are not heard then what can others expect. The complaint has not even got an acknowledgement till now.”
He further raised concerns over the coach’s intent and suggested that his actions could be linked to competitive interests.
“And, I am unable to understand why this coach is doing what he is doing. Maybe he wants Sachin Yadav to beat Neeraj bhai because Sachin trains with him,” he alleged.
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