After the Sports Ministry suspended the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) replied to the Indian government, stating that the PCI had not violated any rules.
In a recent letter to the Indian government, the International Paralympic Committee stated that the PCI’s current status does not require any “intervention” from the international body.
“In light of the information provided to us by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and by your office, and following the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Constitution adopted by our General Assembly in November 2022, the Paralympic Committee of India is currently not in breach of any of its member obligations to the IPC. As such, the current governance situation of the PCI does not require an intervention by the IPC,” the IPC wrote in the letter.
“We expect our members to manage their affairs autonomously and without interference from bodies outside the Paralympic Movement, as required by the provisions of the IPC Constitution,” it added.
The IPC also refused to form an Ad Hoc Committee with the Sports Authority of India for the PCI. It added that the matter will be resolved by India’s “own decision-making process”.
“Similarly, under the rules of our new Constitution, the IPC must preserve its own independence and autonomy to govern the Paralympic Movement. Accordingly, we are not in a position to form an Ad Hoc Committee with the Sports Authority of India as you suggest. As the current governance questions you raise regarding the PCI stem from the national laws and regulations of India, we believe this matter will be best resolved within the scope of the country’s own decision-making process and institutional structures,” it further added.
The IPC also hoped that both the PCI and the Sports Ministry “will be able to find an agreeable and workable solution”.
“Based on your communications with us, as well as those we received from the PCI, we hope that all parties will be able to find an agreeable and workable solution as attention is focused towards facilitating the participation of Indian Para athletes on their pathway to the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” it concluded.
Earlier in January, the Sports Ministry of India suspended the PCI for failing to hold elections on schedule and violating standards. The Sports Ministry noted that the PCI’s plan to hold the election on March 28 “is willful, intentional, and without any valid reason.”