Sports Ministry derecognises PCI after finding irregularities

After a thorough enquiry, the Ministry had found that the PCI had committed a serious breach by misutilising government grants, apart from not holding elections on time, said a release from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. “I welcome the Ministry’s decision. We need a transparent body to run sports for the specially abled in the country. I hope this will be the start of good things to come,” said an official of a unit affiliated to the PCI.

Other counts on which the Ministry halued up PCI included the misconduct of the International Wheel Chair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) Games in Bangalore in 2009, and poor coordination and management of the national contingent sent for the Para Asian Games in China last year. Even after repeated instructions from the Ministry, the PCI also failed to file entries on time for the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) World Para Athletic Championship in New Zealand at the start of the year, which served as the qualifying meet for the London Paralympic Games, depriving many athletes a chance to take part in the mega event.

The PCI also didn’t distribute the ceremonial dress, kits and pocket allowance to athletes at the IWAS Games and FESPIC Games. Further, PCI’s inability to put out the required information about events and selections on its website has drawn the wrath of the Ministry.

The Sports Ministry had sent a show-cause notice on February 15 to the PCI, seeking explanations and suspended the para body, pending final inquiry. In its reply, the PCI admitted that the ceremonial dress for the IWAS Games was not distributed to the athletes but the Ministry found that the amount was claimed by the former in the audited accounts.

The Ministry found the PCI explanations, through a letter on March 4, not tenable as the replies were not satisfactory, forcing it to derecognise the national para body.