A last-minute change of venue, para-athletes stranded at the Chennai railway station or struggling to reschedule tickets to reach Bengaluru on time, and breach of Covid protocols at the stadiums seemed like appetisers before a tournament that could go down in sports history as one of the most pathetic examples of how not to conduct an event. Mobile and car lights were used to organise a national competition. Yes, you read it right. The Sree Kanteerava Stadium hosted a bunch of para-athletes in semi-darkness on Wednesday. Interestingly, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) said the events were conducted late in the evening because the athletes wanted it. But this can’t be a reason for conducting a national event like this where performance can fetch you jobs, scholarships and admissions.
The confusion started just before the event was supposed to begin in Chennai on March 24. A PCI circular suddenly announced on March 20 that the nationals had been shifted to Bengaluru because the Tamil Nadu government did not give permission due to rising Covid-19 cases in the state. What seemed baffling is that the PCI went ahead with the nationals in Chennai without getting confirmation from the government. It could have postponed the event, but it didn’t. That led to the chaos. Athletes’ bookings—trains, flights and hotels—had to be rescheduled. Hundreds of para-athletes had to reach Bengaluru at very short notice.
Such controversies are not new to the PCI. Even in the past, there were issues of mismanagement and chaos while conducting nationals. The worst perhaps was in Ghaziabad in 2015 when the sports ministry and the International Paralympic Committee suspended the PCI. There were issues in Panchkula in 2018 as well. Just a few months ago, the PCI got its recognition back with a new president at the helm of affairs. Perhaps it’s time the PCI realises that there are not too many sporting facilities in the country that boast of being para-athlete friendly. So it would be prudent for them to not hurry with itineraries and think about the players’ interest. After all, facilities for para-athletes should be non-negotiable.