Asian Para Games 2026: Indian Swimmer Sent Home From Japan After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Indian para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh has been sent back to India after being detained by Japanese police over allegations of sexually harassing and molesting a female hotel employee in Nagoya.

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is considering a lifetime ban against the 40-year-old following the incident during the Asian Para Games, according to a Times of India report.

Shaikh was detained on Monday after the alleged incident at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, where the Indian para swimming contingent was staying. He left Japan on Tuesday without competing in his scheduled events.

A senior PCI official accompanying the Indian delegation in Nagoya, who was involved in handling the matter, told TOI that the local organising committee (LOC) had alerted the chef-de-mission's (CDM) office after receiving information about a complaint against an Indian athlete.

"The local organising committee (LOC) informed the chef-de-mission's (CDM) office that an alleged sexual harassment and molestation incident had occurred at the hotel and that an Indian athlete had been detained by the local police," the official said.

According to the report, the female hotel employee was performing housekeeping duties in Shaikh's room when the alleged incident occurred. By the time members of the Indian delegation arrived at the hotel, local police personnel and senior hotel managers were already present.

The official described what the delegation was told about the allegations and the employee's response.

"When we reached the hotel, the police and senior hotel managers were already there. We were told that the athlete had inappropriately touched the female housekeeping staff member, made sexually coloured gestures, attempted to grope her and made sexual advances. She rushed out and informed her superiors. This is what we were told by the police and hotel staff," the official added.

Following the complaint, Shaikh was taken to a local police station. The official said the authorities sought his arrest and wanted him to be formally presented before a court.

The LOC subsequently intervened, and the Indian delegation was asked to provide a written apology to the employee and arrange for Shaikh to leave Japan.

The swimmer was moved to another hotel for the night before being booked on the first available flight out of Nagoya. His flight departed at around 2 pm local time on Tuesday. According to the official's account, Shaikh was released after the written apology had been submitted.

The official also said the police documentation explicitly referred to the allegations.

"The police authorities had clearly recorded the sexual offence allegation in their formal complaint, in Japanese. We can confirm that since I saw that," the official said.

The delegation's efforts to resolve the matter reportedly took several hours, drawing senior officials away from India's campaign at the Games. The hotel employee was also said to be in deep shock when the Indian officials returned to the premises.

"Instead of focusing on the Games and our athletes' performances, we spent several hours at the police station and later at the hotel premises convincing the authorities. We were embarrassed in front of everyone," the official said.

The hotel management and the LOC subsequently sought clarification on the action India would take against the swimmer. According to the official, they warned that formal legal proceedings could follow if they were dissatisfied with the response.

PCI Considers Lifetime Ban For Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh

The PCI has informed the government in New Delhi about the proposed disciplinary action, the official told TOI.

After the Asian Para Games conclude, PCI representatives, para swimming administrators and members of the Indian delegation are expected to discuss the incident and recommend sanctions to the sports ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The CDM's office has already recommended a lifetime ban, with a formal decision expected at a meeting in Delhi after the contingent returns.

The official said the allegations had serious implications for the Indian delegation's standing at the international event and called for stringent action.

"Aalam is staring at no less than a lifetime ban for bringing disrepute to the entire Indian delegation participating at the Asian Para Games and for embarrassing the country on the world stage," the official said.

The official described the alleged conduct as "reprehensible and intolerable", adding that there could be "no justification" for such behaviour from an athlete representing the country internationally.

Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh's Para Swimming Career

Shaikh, who hails from Madhubani district in Bihar, lives with his family in Mumbai's Dharavi. According to World Para Swimming records, he was previously ranked world No. 1 in the men's 100m butterfly (S5) and 50m breaststroke (SB4).

He represented India at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta. Last year, he won gold in the 200m breaststroke at the Reykjavik International Games, setting Indian and Asian records.

His departure from Japan means he will not compete in his scheduled events at the ongoing Asian Para Games.

The incident follows another case involving an Indian sports official in Nagoya. Indian hockey umpire and technical official Gurinder Singh Sangha was sent home from the able-bodied Asian Games after sexual misconduct and harassment complaints were reportedly made by a Malaysian hockey official and a hotel staff member.