Sumit Antil, a javelin thrower and double gold medalist at the Paralympics, has leveled serious allegations against his former coach Naval Singh, who has received the prestigious Dronacharya award. Sumit claims that Singh has subjected him to mental harassment and verbal abuse, a matter he has formally reported to the Sports Authority of India (SAI). In his complaint, he describes instances of verbal attacks that have also targeted his family.
“I trained with Naval during 2018-19, but even after our professional relationship ended, he continues to verbally abuse us. He often drinks and resorts to offensive language towards the families of multiple athletes, including mine, Neeraj Chopra’s, and Navdeep’s. He would even share recordings of his abusive tirades with my manager,” Sumit expressed in an interview with The Indian Express. “I felt compelled to file this complaint after it escalated beyond an acceptable level. The situation had become unbearable,” he added.
In response to the complaint, SAI acknowledged its receipt but clarified that Naval Singh does not work for them directly. Rather, he is associated with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and is currently training another athlete, Sachin Yadav, within the framework of a national coaching camp. A representative from SAI stated, “We have received a complaint from Sumit Antil regarding verbal abuse by Coach Naval Singh. Other athletes, including Neeraj Chopra, have supported this complaint. However, as the coach is affiliated with AFI and not SAI, we are addressing the matter with the federation.”
Sumit’s allegations have garnered support from fellow athletes, including Paralympic gold medalist Navdeep Singh and Para Athletics World Championship medallist Sandeep Chaudhary. Sandeep remarked, “All of us, including Neeraj, Sumit, and Navdeep, have reached out to SAI regarding this issue. While I am unsure if Neeraj trained under Naval, I, along with Sumit and Navdeep, have experienced his abusive language directed at us and our families on several occasions, often when he is intoxicated.”
Sumit has expressed frustration over SAI’s response, criticizing it as dismissive. “I have a straightforward question: if I am being verbally abused, who should I approach? The employment status of the coach should not matter. If he is coaching on SAI property and harassing athletes in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), I believe SAI is the appropriate channel for complaints,” he stated.
Neeraj Chopra, a double Olympic medalist, became involved after Sumit shared recordings of the alleged abuse and sought his assistance. “After listening to the recordings, Neeraj bhai immediately offered his support and even penned a letter urging SAI to take decisive action,” Sumit recounted.
In the correspondence obtained by The Indian Express, Neeraj stated, “I write as an athlete proud to represent India on national and international stages, and I believe that sports should embody dignity, discipline, and respect. The comments made by Coach Naval Singh are not just inappropriate; they are utterly disgraceful.”
Sumit concluded with a poignant remark: “If experienced athletes like Neeraj and Paralympic medalists are not protected from such harassment, what does that mean for the younger athletes?”
(Contributions by Nitin Sharma)
Pritish Raj is part of the sports team at The Indian Express and operates from New Delhi.
