Sports Ministry lifted the suspension of Indian Paralympic Committee: It was suspended due to delay in elections, elections will be held on March 28.

Paralympic medal winner Devendra Jhajharia is certain to be elected president.

The Sports Ministry on Tuesday revoked the suspension imposed on the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). On February 2, the ministry had de-recognized PCI for deliberately delaying the election of the new executive committee, as per the National Sports Code.

PCI had postponed the elections to March 28 due to the Para Shooting World Cup to be held from March 6 to 15, which should have been held before January 31 this year.

Javelin player Devendra Jhajharia will become the new president.
The organization had started the process for the long-pending elections, in which multiple-time Paralympic medal winner Devendra Jhajharia is set to be elected president. Jhajharia, 42, was the only candidate to file nomination papers for the post of PCI chief.

Jhajharia had won gold medal in Javelin throw in F46 category in 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio Paralympics. After this, Jhajharia also won the silver medal in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. She won gold at the World Championships in 2013 and silver in 2015 (both F46 category) as well as a silver medal at the Asian Para Games in 2014.

Devendra Jhajharia has won 2 gold and one silver in Paralympic Games.

Decision taken because of World Cup
The Sports Ministry wrote in the letter, “Since the election process has reached the stage where the nominated candidates have been deemed elected, it is important that PCI hosts the 2024 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in New Delhi from 06 to 15 March 2024.” It has been decided to cancel the suspension of PCI with immediate effect.

Voting will be held for five executive slots
Returning officer Umesh Sinha released a list of candidates who filed nomination papers for various posts, in which Jhajharia was the only name for the post of Speaker. There will be no contest for all key posts and voting will take place only for five places in the Executive Committee, for which eight candidates have filed their nominations.

24 quotas for Paris Paralympics at stake
24 Paris Paralympic quotas are at stake in the Para Shooting World Cup. It will be held at Karni Singh Range in Delhi and more than 500 shooters from 52 countries will participate in it.