Devendra Jhajharia appointed as president of Paralympic Committee of India

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) welcomed a familiar face to its top leadership position today as multiple-time Paralympic medallist Devendra Jhajharia was appointed as the president. This development came after the Sports Ministry revoked the suspension of PCI earlier this month.

Devendra Jhajharia, a prominent figure in Indian Paralympic history, secured two gold medals for the country during his illustrious career as a javelin thrower. His first gold came at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, followed by another triumph at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Jhajharia also added a silver medal to his collection in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

The Sports Ministry's decision to lift the suspension on March 5 was a result of PCI's initiation of the election process for its executive committee. The ministry had previously terminated PCI’s recognition citing "intentional delay to elect a new executive committee" in accordance with the National Sports Code.

Originally scheduled to take place before January 31, the PCI elections were postponed to March 28 due to the upcoming Para Shooting World Cup from March 6-15. Following the suspension, PCI proposed March 9 as the new date for the elections and commenced the nomination process.

At 42 years old, Jhajharia's appointment as President marks a new chapter for PCI, bringing in a leader who not only understands the challenges faced by para-athletes but has also achieved remarkable success on the international stage.