“Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil Accuse Dronacharya Awardee Naval Singh of Harassment”

Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil has accused Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh of mental harassment and verbal abuse in a formal complaint filed with the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The complaint, reportedly supported by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other athletes, alleges that Singh’s conduct has adversely affected athletes’ training environment.

Antil, a gold medallist at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, claimed that Naval Singh repeatedly targeted him and Neeraj Chopra, and allegedly crossed professional boundaries by making abusive remarks involving their families.

“He mentally harassed us and abused our, mine and Neeraj’s, families. He seems mentally unstable,” Antil told PTI.

Antil, one of India’s leading medal prospects in the F64 javelin category for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, said the issue escalated over time, ultimately forcing him to approach authorities with a formal complaint.

“He would deliberately share recordings of his abusive rants with our managers so that they reach us,” he alleged.

SAI has acknowledged receiving the complaint and stated that it is being taken up with the concerned federation. However, it clarified that Naval Singh is not a SAI employee and is currently associated with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) as part of the national coaching setup.

“A complaint has been received from Sumit Antil, Paralympic gold medallist, alleging verbal abuse by Coach Naval Singh. The complaint has also been supported by other athletes, including Neeraj Chopra,” a SAI source said.

Naval Singh, who was awarded the Dronacharya Award in 2015, is currently coaching javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth at last year’s World Championships ahead of Neeraj Chopra, who placed eighth while recovering from injury. Singh has not yet responded to the allegations.

Antil further stated that his complaint has been endorsed by Neeraj Chopra, Navdeep Singh, and Sandeep Chaudhary.

“It has been a week since we complained to DG SAI and CEO TOPS. The TOPS CEO wanted us to compromise in the first hearing,” he said.

“We ignored this matter for a long time but decided to complain after it became too much. Neeraj bhai, Navdeep Singh, and Sandeep Chaudhary endorsed it.”

He also expressed concern over the lack of formal response from authorities.

“If athletes of our stature are not heard, then what can others expect? The complaint has not even received an acknowledgement till now.”

Antil further questioned the coach’s intent, suggesting possible competitive motivations behind his conduct.

“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.