Stories
PCI Chief Devendra Jhajharia Defends Asian Para Games Selection Amid Corruption Allegations
- •Paralympic Committee of India chief Devendra Jhajharia defended the selection process for the Asian Para Games, assuring complete transparency and adherence to ministry guidelines.
- •The response comes after para-shooters demanded an independent inquiry into alleged financial corruption, extortion, and manipulation within the PCI selection process.
- •Jhajharia dismissed the allegations of extortion and manipulation, stating that the teams across athletics, cycling, swimming, and shooting were selected strictly on merit.
- •The PCI chief expressed disappointment over the protests, noting that athletes have open access to discuss their concerns directly with the office instead of demonstrating.
- •A representation submitted to the Sports Authority of India accused PCI officials of demanding a 20 percent cut from government cash awards and manipulating quota places for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Para Asian Games.
Key Questions Answered
Para-shooters submitted a representation to the Sports Authority of India alleging illicit monetary extortion, brazen corruption, and violations of Sports Ministry guidelines by PCI officials and the Shooting Technical Committee. They claimed athletes were pressured to pay 20% of their government cash awards for selection and accused officials of manipulating quota scores.
PCI chief Devendra Jhajharia rejected the allegations, insisting that all selection criteria across athletics, cycling, swimming, and shooting were strictly met in accordance with Ministry guidelines. He maintained that the team was selected purely on merit and stated that regular dialogue made protests unnecessary.
The Aichi-Nagoya Para Asian Games are scheduled to take place from October 18 to 24. The continental multi-sport event will be hosted in Japan, with the opening ceremony commencing on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
