Odisha para-badminton international medallist Sunil Pradhan was today unanimously elected as the treasurer of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Two-time Paralympics gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia and international coach-cum-referee Jayawant Hammanawar were elected as president and secretary general respectively for a four-year term.

In fact, all 12 office-bearers were elected unopposed. PCI elections were conducted by former Election Commission of India (ECI) Secretary General Umesh Sinha as Returning Officer along with former ECI Senior Principal Secretary Tapas Kumar Bhattacharya at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

Rajasthan javelin thrower Jhajharia succeeded another celebrated para athlete Deepa Malik. A Khel Ratna and Padma Shri awardee, Jhajharia is also set to contest the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket from his hometown Churu.

ELECTED OFFICE-BEARERS OF PCI: President: Devendra Jhajharia (Rajasthan). Vice-Presidents: R Chandrashekar (Tamil Nadu), Satya Prakash Sangwan (Haryana). Secretary General: Jayawant Hammanawar (Goa). Treasurer: Sunil Pradhan (Odisha). Joint-Secretaries: Lalith Thakur (Himachal Pradesh), Diwakara T (Karnataka). Executive Committee Members: Dr Sutapa Chakarabarty (AssaM0, Bhati Chandulal Tarachandji (Gujarat), Sandeep Kumar (Bihar), Shaminder Singh Dhillon (Punjab), Singarapu Babu (Telangana).
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PHOTO: Odisha para badminton international Sunil Pradhan expresses his joy after getting elected as the treasurer of Paralympic Committee of India in New Delhi on 9 March 2024.