E-Paper
Days after historic CWG triumph, India's para stars take on IOA staff over alleged misconduct
Two CWG medallists have lodged complaints with the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) against an IOA media committee member
The para athletes scripted some of India's most inspiring moments at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, winning seven medals and ending a 20-year wait for an Indian para athletics podium at the Games. Their campaign included three double-podium finishes, one of which came in the men's T47 100m race, where Dilip Mahadu Gavit stormed to gold in a Commonwealth Games record time while Mohammed Basil M claimed silver.
However, days after returning from Glasgow, the focus has shifted from celebration to controversy.
According to a report in the Times of India, Gavit and Basil have lodged complaints with the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) against an IOA media committee member, alleging rude and disrespectful behaviour towards para athletes during the Games.
The two athletes filed separate complaints, alongside para athletics coach Pushpa NP, who was part of the Indian contingent in Glasgow. The report further stated that Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) CEO Rahul Swami has also submitted a similar complaint.
Sources identified the official in question as Sarvesh Kedia, a member of the 14-person IOA media team that travelled with the Indian contingent to Glasgow.
In a complaint accessed by the newspaper, Pushpa alleged that Kedia "was talking loudly with our medal winners Dilip Gavit, Basil and the coaches" and said the incident involved him and chief para athletics coach Satyanarayana. The confrontation allegedly took place on July 30, shortly after Gavit clocked a Commonwealth Games record of 10.71 seconds to become India's first-ever male para athletics gold medallist. Basil finished second with a season-best 10.83 seconds.
Sources told the newspaper that the dispute began over whether the athletes should attend media interactions before completing the mandatory dope-control procedure. The verbal disagreement allegedly escalated into a brief physical confrontation before coaches and athletes intervened to separate the two.
The incident is understood to have left several members of the para athletics contingent deeply disturbed, prompting athletes, coaches and PCI officials to file formal complaints with both the Sports Ministry and the IOA, seeking action against Kedia.
In her complaint, Pushpa urged the authorities to ensure that Kedia "is not involved in any para athletics media interaction" in the future and sought appropriate disciplinary action against him.
