PCI to get show-cause notice from Ministry

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 19

The Sports Ministry has decided to issue a show-cause notice to the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) for its shoddy handling of the matter involving para-swimmer Kanchanmala Pande, who was allegedly forced to borrow money in Berlin from a friend to compete in an event.

Nagpur-based Pande, who is blind and competes in the S11 category, had a harrowing time in the German capital when the fund allocated for the tour by the Ministry didn’t reach the para-swimmers.

While the PCI said that the funds couldn’t be withdrawn because the court-appointed chairman, Justice (Retd) Kailash Gambhir, wasn’t available for the approval, the Ministry hasn’t taken the justification at face value.

“If PCI knew about Justice Gambhir’s unavailability, it should have told the Ministry. The Ministry would have directly transferred the funds to the para-athletes’ bank accounts. We would have personally spoken to the organisers for their hassle-free tournament,” a Ministry official said.