Pramod Bhagat, the reigning Paralympic champion in badminton, is upset as he is not part of the Paralympics squad for the Paris Games. According to The Bridge, Pramod has alleged that a ‘small technical issue’ has dashed his Paralympic dreams.
With the suspension, Pramod will now be barred from participating in all types of events. He said, “Today, all of you must know the bad and sad news that has come to light. It was very hard for me. I had never anticipated this (suspension) because of a small technical issue.”
Bhagat explains the glitch
Describing the issue, Bhagat explained, “There is an app where we must submit our whereabouts every three months, four times a year. In January 2023, I submitted my information and was certain it was submitted as it showed a green signal. However, on 3rd January 2023, I received an email stating that there had been a filing failure for my whereabouts, and they would count it as my third whereabouts failure.”
“I gave an explanation, but It didn’t work”
Pramod continued, “We had a discussion about it and contacted BWF, but the case was dismissed. They then asked for my whereabouts between 30th December 2022 and 3rd January 2023, demanding an explanation. I provided screenshots and proof and gave an explanation.”
Too close to the Paralympics
Pramod noted that it is unfortunate that the 1.5-year-old issue has been addressed now. “It’s been 1.5 years, and the decision has come so close to the Paralympics. The decision was very hard for me to accept. I am considering challenging it, as it is not a whereabouts failure and seems to be just a software malfunction,” Pramod said.
