Unemployed Wheelchair Badminton Player Waiting for His Dues by Paralympic India Since June 2022

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Unemployed international wheelchair-bound para badminton player, Sanjeev Kumar, has been agonisingly waiting for a refund of $710 (approximately ₹59,500) that he paid to compete in the 2022 Canada Para Badminton International.

It was an international embarrassment as the Indian players were stranded at the venue and eventually had to borrow money to pay the amount to the organisers, Badminton Canada. Indian officials, responsible for selecting and sending the team, engaged in a blame game instead.

In June 2023, Joran Bridal, Executive Director of Badminton Canada, sent an email to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and Prabhakar Rao, Chairman of Para Badminton at Badminton Association of India (BAI), regarding the pending invoice of $2,480 since 2022.

"I am not sure why a partial payment of an invoice was sent when it clearly outlined the total owed. Please forward proof of the balance of payment on all outstanding accounts, and we will be able to let the athletes into the accommodations and the competition venue," Bridal wrote in his email before the 2023 edition of the tournament.

Based in Chandigarh, 37-year-old Sanjeev Kumar, a father of two children (ages 8 and 3), was among the five-member Indian para-badminton team that faced this harrowing situation two years ago in Canada.

Upon their arrival for the 2022 Canada Para Badminton International, the Indian players were told to vacate their hotel rooms because the balance invoice was unpaid. "We were told to pay for accommodation and entry fees ourselves. We had no choice but to pay out of our own pockets. Since we paid all the dues, we had to borrow money for meals," Sanjeev Kumar recalled, describing the mentally challenging situation.

A receipt, dated June 10, 2022, issued by Badminton Canada and in possession of this website, confirms that Sanjeev Kumar paid $710 to cover his accommodation and entry fee for the 2022 Canada Para Badminton International.

Despite paying all dues before the entry deadline for the tournament, the players had to endure this unpleasant situation.

An official from Para Badminton, a body under the Badminton Association of India (BAI) overseeing para badminton, said the amount was paid to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to cover expenses, including entry fees and boarding for the 2022 international event in Canada.

Prabhakar Rao claimed the financial aspect of the 2022 tour to Canada was PCI's responsibility. "I can only tell you about the technical aspects of para badminton. The PCI was responsible for the financial matters of the 2022 Canada tour," Rao said over the phone.

Gursharan Singh, the then Secretary General of PCI, said that PCI's accounts department would provide details about why the bill remained pending for so long. Rahul Swani, a senior official at PCI, also said he would check into the matter.

Sanjeev Kumar, who has sent several reminders for the refund, is still awaiting a positive response. "Our main contact point is the para badminton chairman (Prabhakar Rao). The para badminton official should follow up on the case," the wheelchair-bound player added.

Since PCI and para badminton officials overlooked the issue, Sanjeev said it was a nightmare for the players. "Whatever money we had, we paid to the organising committee to compete. We were left with no pocket allowance and often had to stay hungry as there was no money for meals," Sanjeev Kumar recalled about the awful incident in Canada.

Other members of the Indian team that travelled to Canada, included Pramod Bhagat, Manoj Sarkar, Vikram Kumar, and Manasi Joshi.