When an Olympic medallist speaks up, it carries weight. But when multiple elite athletes echo the same concern, it demands immediate attention.
In a recent development, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, two-time Paralympic champion Sumit Antil and a few other elite athletes have alleged mental harassment and repetitive use of abusive language by javelin coach Naval Singh, who trains Sachin Yadav.
A written complaint was submitted to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on April 10, after the matter was raised with officials from SAI and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
“I have always been a clean athlete and I don’t want to be part of any controversy. I tried to explain to him (coach Naval Singh) multiple times, but this is not the first time. It has gone beyond my patience level,” Sumit Antil told Read on Friday.
“He gets drunk and sends random recordings abusing us and dragging our families in it. He tends to behave this way when competitions approach,” he added.
Read is in possession of emails written by athletes to SAI and audio recordings in which Singh can allegedly be heard verbally abusing Neeraj, Sumit, Navdeep and Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem.
“I approached SAI Deputy Director Arunlal and the CEO of TOPS (Nash Johal). They initially tried to resolve the matter through a compromise, but this time I was not going to let it pass,” a frustrated Antil said.
“I may be the first to speak up, but there are many who have silently endured this,” he added.
In the email, Sumit, who initiated the written complaint, wrote: “Over a prolonged period, I have personally experienced repeated instances of verbal abuse, humiliation, and mental harassment under his conduct.”
“The language used has been extremely degrading, not only towards athletes but also towards our families, including deeply disrespectful remarks about our mothers and even about esteemed athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary,” he added.
Antil further alleged in the email that there were instances where the coach appeared intoxicated during training hours, creating a hostile and unsafe environment.
“Additionally, threats related to misuse of authority, including false allegations, have caused fear among athletes. I have already raised this issue through formal discussions with the CEO of TOPS in the presence of SDO Para and other officials,” he wrote.
“This ongoing situation has severely affected my mental well-being, dignity and sense of safety. I feel deeply distressed that despite giving my best for the country, I am subjected to such an environment. I am ready to submit audio evidence and fully cooperate in any investigation,” the email further reads.
Neeraj Chopra demands strict action
Antil’s claims have also been backed by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who wrote: “I stand in full agreement with my fellow athletes and strongly demand strict action in this matter.”
“I write this as an athlete who has had the honor of representing India at both national and international levels, and who firmly believes that sport must uphold dignity, discipline, and respect. The statements made by coach Naval Singh are not just inappropriate, they are disgraceful,” Chopra added.
Chopra, a two-time World Championships medallist, also requested SAI to take “decisive action.”
“Abusive language directed at me, my family, and fellow athletes cross every boundary of professionalism and basic human decency. I am shocked and disappointed to hear such derogatory comments. This kind of behavior from a person in authority is intolerable and brings disrepute to the sporting system as a whole,” he wrote.
“I urge the Sports Authority of India to take immediate and decisive action. There must be clear consequences for such conduct, along with strict accountability, to ensure that no athlete has to endure this kind of behavior again.
“Our athletes deserve professionalism, respect, and a system that protects them, not one that tolerates misconduct. I expect this issue to be addressed with the seriousness it demands,” Chopra added.
Sandeep Chaudhary, an Arjuna awardee and world champion, also supported the complaint, stating that he had faced similar behaviour.
“I would like to formally bring to your notice that I have also experienced instances of inappropriate, abusive and unprofessional behaviour from coach Naval Singh. On multiple occasions, the conduct has included derogatory language and offensive remarks, even extending towards my family, which is deeply unacceptable,” he wrote.
Navdeep Singh, a TOPS athlete, and the reigning Paralympic champion echoed similar concerns.
“I have also faced instances of abusive, derogatory and highly inappropriate behaviour from coach Naval Singh, including offensive remarks directed towards my family. I fully support the concerns raised, as this reflects a consistent pattern of misconduct that has negatively impacted the dignity, mental well-being and overall environment for athletes,” he wrote.
Antil also alleged that despite multiple elite athletes speaking out, no action has yet been taken against Naval Singh.
“There has been no satisfactory response from SAI despite multiple follow ups,” said Antil.
“There’s no action taken even when Neeraj and I have complained. What would junior athletes have to go through?”
“I’m seriously shocked that no official is able to respond to it despite complaints from top athletes,” Antil added.
Read reached out to SAI Deputy Director (TEAMS Division) Arunlal, who redirected queries to TOPS CEO Nash Johal. The latter cited prior commitments and wasn’t available for a comment. This article will be updated as and when Mr Johal responds.
Past allegations involving Deepa Malik
Indian para athlete and former PCI President Deepa Malik was also subject to similar mental harassment and abusive behaviour from Naval Singh more than a decade ago.
The email states, that prior to the 2012 London Paralympics and the 2014 Asian Para Games, Deepa’s training was repeatedly disrupted and disturbed by Singh, which adversely affected her preparation. Due to this, she had to discontinue training under him in 2014.
Furthermore, before the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she was subjected to severe mental harassment when a court case was initiated against her through one of his trainees.
Meanwhile, Read tried to reach out to Coach Naval Singh but he was unreachable.
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