BENGALURU: The organisers of the National Para Athletics Championship, which began here on Wednesday, drew flak after a video of a men’s shot put competition being conducted at the Sree Kanteerava stadium, allegedly with the help of car’s headlights and mobile flashlights, went viral on social media.
“It was a men’s shot put event which got delayed on Wednesday and the organizers went ahead and conducted it with a help of a car’s headlights and mobile lights,” sources told TOI.
A former athlete from Delhi, who was at the venue, said he got the video from athletes who shot the flashlight event. “It is sad to see that a national meet is being organized in such a way. It is for Paralympic Committee of India to answer why they are conducting the Nationals in such a manner,” he said.
TOI couldn’t verify the authenticity of the visuals in the video, which shows the men’s shot put event being conducted without any Covid-19 protocols in place. Officials are seen taking measurements with the help of mobile lights. The main light source is that of a vehicle parked next to the arena.
Calls to PCI secretary general Gursharan Singh, technical committee convenor of the meet Satyanarayana and Karnataka Athletics Association secretary and top AFI technical official Rajavelu, who is seen in the video conducting the event, went unanswered.
The Nationals, which was originally scheduled to be held in Chennai, was moved to Bengaluru at the eleventh hour after the Tamil Nadu government denied permission.