Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil allege harassment by Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh

Sumit Antil has accused Naval Singh of mental harassment and verbal abuse in a complaint submitted to the Sports Authority of India, with support from Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.

Antil, a gold medallist at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics, alleged that the coach repeatedly targeted both him and Chopra, even crossing professional boundaries by abusing their families. “He mentally harassed us and abused our families. He seems mentally unstable,” Antil told PTI.

A top medal contender in the F64 category for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Antil said the situation worsened over time, prompting him to file a formal complaint. He also alleged that the coach shared recordings of his abusive remarks with their managers to ensure they reached the athletes.

The SAI confirmed receiving the complaint and said it is being taken up with the Athletics Federation of India, noting that Naval Singh is not its employee but is part of a national coaching camp run by the federation.

Naval, who received the Dronacharya Award in 2015, is currently coaching Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth at last year’s World Championships, ahead of Chopra. He has not yet responded to the allegations.

Antil said his complaint is backed by Chopra as well as fellow para javelin throwers Navdeep Singh and Sandeep Chaudhary.

He also expressed concern over the response from authorities, claiming there had been little acknowledgment of the complaint. “If athletes of our stature are not heard, what can others expect?” he said.

Antil further questioned the coach’s intent, suggesting his actions may be linked to competitive interests, alleging that Singh could be trying to favour his trainee over Chopra.