August 7 - A group representing Indian's disabled groups has written to the country's Sports Minister M.S Gill calling for officials at the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to be sacked over chaotic preparations for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Swimming Championships, which are due to start in Eindhoven later this month.



The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has claimed that swimmers who have qualified for event have been told that they have to fund the trip themselves and that the PCI are refusing to help them get there.

Javed Abidi, the director of the NCPEDP, said: "It is the first time that four Indian Paralympic swimmers have qualified for the World Championships.

"A good performance will impact the probability of our swimmers for the London Paralympics 2012.

"The team is supposed to leave August 12 but the swimmers have still not been informed if they are going or not.

"Neither have their funds been sanctioned nor their visas arranged.

"Moreover, they are currently undergoing coaching on their own and at their own expense."

The NCPEDP have demanded that V.K. Dabas, the coach of the Indian swimming team from the Paralympic Swimming Federation of India, and C.V. Raghunath, the administrator of the PCI, be sacked before the Championships open on August 16.

Abidi said: "The four players are not and don't even want to train with Dabas.

"Then why his name is being proposed by the PCI as coach for the World Championship?

"As for Raghunath, he is neither disabled nor does he have anything to do with swimming."

Earlier this year the Association for Disabled People and the Paralympic Table Tennis Federation of India accused the PCI of being "corrupt and apathetic" and demanded that the Government launch an investigation.


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