Para Sports
Sports Ministry revokes suspension of Paralympic Committee of India
Paralympic Committee of India has started the election process resulting in the Sports Ministry removing the ban imposed last month.
The Sports Ministry has revoked the suspension imposed on the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on Tuesday.
The decision came after PCI initiated the process of its pending elections in which multiple-time Paralympic medallist Devendra Jhajharia is set to be elected President.
On February 2, the ministry terminated PCI's recognition for "intentional delay to elect a new executive committee" as per the National Sports Code.
The PCI had postponed the elections, which should have been held before January 31 this year, to March 28 because of the impending Para Shooting World Cup from March 6-15.
After its suspension, the body proposed March 9 as the new date to elect governing body members and began the process of nominations. Most of its top posts are set to be filled without any contest.
The ministry said that the "main ground for suspension of government recognition" has been addressed.
"...since the election process has reached the stage where the nominated candidates have been deemed to be duly elected unanimously, as well as the important fact that PCI is hosting 2024 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup from 06-15 March 2024 at New Delhi, it has been decided to revoke the suspension of PCI, with immediate effect," read a ministry letter to PCI.
The Para Shooting World Cup offers 24 Paris Paralympic quota places, and more than 500 shooters from 52 countries will be seen in action in the event to be held at Delhi's Karni Singh Range.
The 42-year-old Jhajharia, who had won a gold medal each in the 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio Paralympics in the F46 disability category, was the only candidate who filed nomination papers for the PCI chief's post.
Outgoing president Deepa Malik is also eligible to contest but she decided to support Jhajharia.
There will be no contest for all the major posts and voting may only be held for the five slots in the executive committee for which eight candidates have filed their nomination papers.
The PCI had found support from the International Paralympic Committee after the suspension. The IPC had said that it would continue to recognise the PCI as the only body for para-sports in India.
