Para-badminton player Pramod Bhagat, para-archer Rakesh Kumar, para table tennis player Bhavina Patel, and others during the send-off ceremony. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry has dropped under-fire para-shooting coach Jai Prakash Nautiyal from India's contingent for the Asian Para Games 2026, approving a 166-athlete squad for the continental event in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, amid a controversy-marred selection process that triggered protests by shooters and cyclists.The Games are scheduled to begin on October 18, with India set to compete across 10 disciplines. Long-serving national coach Jeevan L Rai has replaced Nautiyal in the squad following allegations of irregularities in the selection process.
As per a PTI report, Nautiyal had faced allegations of not following established selection criteria and demanding kickbacks in exchange for selecting shooters. Several athletes protested outside the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters, demanding his removal and an investigation into the charges.The aggrieved shooters also met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to present their grievances after attempting to disrupt the contingent's send-off ceremony last week.With 166 athletes approved, India will have a total contingent of 275, including 94 team officials and support staff and 15 contingent staff members.
Controversial shooting selection; cyclists' protest fails to change squad
The 13-member shooting squad, which has been at the centre of the controversy, features Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal, among others.
Agarwal recently secured a silver medal at the World Championships in Korea, earning India a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.The Ministry has also resisted pressure for last-minute additions to the cycling squad despite protests by omitted athletes. Only Paralympian Arshad Shaik was approved from among those in contention, having comfortably met the selection criteria.Six other cyclists had been selected by the Cycling Federation of India and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), but were subsequently left out for failing to satisfy the prescribed criteria.The decision comes amid questions over the selection process, with athletes seeking greater transparency in the composition of the Indian contingent.
Sheetal Devi, Bhavina Patel among India's medal hopes
Para-athletics forms the biggest part of India's contingent, with 62 athletes, including 46 men, and a support staff of 36. World Championships medallist Simran, a visually impaired sprinter, is also part of the squad. After her previous guide, Umar Saifi, was caught in a doping case, she will compete with a new guide, Shivam.
India's other medal prospects include Paralympic silver medallist Bhavina Patel in table tennis and a strong badminton contingent of 28 players, comprising 17 men and 11 women.Former world No. 1 and Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and former Paralympic silver medallist Suhas Yathiraj headline the badminton squad, which has been allocated 11 support staff members.In archery, 19-year-old Sheetal Devi, a double gold medallist at the previous Para Asian Games, will be among India's leading contenders. The world champion will be joined by 18-year-old Payal Nag, who grabbed attention by defeating Sheetal at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok earlier this year.With a sizeable contingent and several established champions in its ranks, India will look to make a strong impression in Japan, even as the selection controversy casts a shadow over the team's preparations.