“Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil Level Harassment Allegations Against Coach Naval Singh”

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

The complaint, reportedly supported by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other athletes, alleges repeated inappropriate conduct by the coach. Antil, who won gold at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics, said Singh had repeatedly targeted him and Neeraj Chopra, and even crossed professional limits by abusing their families.

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

The F64 javelin star, a strong medal contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, said the situation escalated over time, eventually forcing him to file a formal complaint. “He would deliberately share recordings of his abusive rants with our managers so that they reach us,” he alleged.

SAI confirmed receipt of the complaint and said it is examining the matter in consultation 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) under 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, a 2015 Dronacharya Award recipient, is currently coaching javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth at the World Championships last year ahead of Neeraj Chopra, who was eighth while returning from injury. He has not yet responded to the allegations.

Antil said the complaint has also been backed by Neeraj Chopra, Navdeep Singh, and Sandeep Chaudhary.

“It has been a week since we complained to DG SAI and TOPS CEO. The TOPS CEO initially suggested a compromise,” he said. “We ignored this matter for a long time but decided to complain when it became unbearable. Neeraj bhai, Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary supported it.”

He also raised concerns over the lack of response from authorities. “If athletes of our stature are not heard, then what can others expect? The complaint hasn’t even been acknowledged yet.”

Antil further questioned the coach’s intentions, suggesting possible competitive bias.

“I don’t understand why he is doing this. Maybe he wants Sachin Yadav to beat Neeraj bhai, since Sachin trains under him,” he alleged.