Neeraj Chopra is among multiple Indian javelin stars who have lodged a complaint against the javelin coach Naval Singh to the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The top Indian athletes have alleged the coach of abuse and harassment. Alongside Neeraj, two-time Paralympics gold medalist Sumit Antil is among those who have written to SAI over the issue and called for action to be taken against the coach.
As per a report by news publicationTHE BRIDGE, Neeraj and Antil led the way as a written complaint was filed with SAI last week on April 10. The matter was also raised with officials from SAI and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Neeraj claimed abuse was directed towards him and his family. The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist called for decisive action to be taken.
"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," said Neeraj in the letter as per TheBridge.
“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,. 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.
Antil initiated the complaint and claimed that Naval gets drunk and sends abusive recordings towards him and other athletes. He claimed that the issue was raised in the past, but he wanted to escalate matters this time around. He claimed that many athletes have been
"He gets drunk and sends random recordings abusing us and dragging our families in it. He tends to behave this way when competitions approach. 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. I may be the first to speak up, but there are many who have silently endured this," said Antil in a conversation with the Bridge.
Naval is a Dronacharya Award-winning coach, and he is currently training Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth in the 2025 Athletics World Championships.
Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with four years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb...View More
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