Close to 600 wheelchair-bound athletes faced difficulties using the basic facilities, including drinking water and food where the athletes were housed.

Reported by: NDTVSports 
Para-Athletes

The participating athletes were put up at unfurnished and unhygienic accommodations.

Rajesh Tomar has been sacked as the president of Paralympic Committee of India over lack of facilities at the 15th National Paralympics Meet held in Ghaziabad last month. According to reports, the decision to suspend Tomar was taken in an executive committee meeting Bangalore.

The three-day event was held at the Janhit Sports Academy in Matiala Village of Ghaziabad. Close to 600 wheelchair-bound athletes faced difficulties using the basic facilities, including drinking water and food where the athletes were housed.

The athletes were made to stay in an under-construction building where rooms allotted to various national teams had no furniture at all.

Tomar had blamed the government for not providing proper venue to host the event.

“I had approached the ministry to provide their facility to host the event but Sports Authority of India refused saying that their venues are being used by abled-bodied athletes. I did not have a venue to host the event. So, I said yes when the Uttar Pradesh unit of the PCI offered to host the event,” Tomar said.

The incident prompted Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to seek a detailed report from PCI as well as from his secretary.

“Well-being of all athletes is a priority for us. Differently-abled athletes and their well-being is a priority for us. We are examining the matter and looking into the reasons for mismanagement of the event,” Sonowal had said.