TOPS chief Johal faces conflict-of-interest questions over wife’s role at Youth Olympics

Pune: Questions of conflict of interest have arisen over Meenu Dahiya Johal accompanying Priyanshi Patil, the lone sailing athlete in the 35-member Indian contingent at the ongoing Youth Olympics in Dakar, as “coach-cum-manager” despite concerns within the sailing community over her coaching credentials.Meenu Johal’s husband, Nachhattar Singh Johal, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).The contingent, which includes athletes from 11 disciplines, was approved at no cost to the government by the Ministry of Sports through a letter addressed to the Indian Olympic Association. The Times of India has a copy of the letter.The controversy stems from the fact that Meenu Johal, a former sailor, does not possess the requisite expertise to coach Priyanshi, according to people associated with the Indian yachting community.“Ms Meenu Johal competed in the Laser class, which is vastly different from windsurfing,” a former sailing athlete said.Another stakeholder in the sport highlighted the importance of having the right coach accompany athletes, particularly a teenage girl competing at an international event. For the record, Priyanshi is coached by Prakash Alexander. “Has Meenu Johal ever rigged a boat? Sailing can be dangerous. We are talking about a young girl going out into the sea, the weather can be rough. You need a coach who has the experience and who knows the athlete on the boat,” the stakeholder said.Both the former athlete and the stakeholder spoke to The Times of India on condition of anonymity.A spokesperson for the ministry said Meenu Johal was “an accomplished sailor and administrator of repute”.“She was awarded the ‘Engineer in Chief Trophy’ by the President of the Yachting Association of India in 2004 for being the Best Lady Sailor of the Year. She is also qualified, probably the only female, in powerboat handling by the Yachting Association of India, which is a minimum requirement for handling a coach boat on water. She had also qualified the written examination for International Race Official conducted by World Sailing,” the spokesperson told The Times of India in a written communication.The ministry’s response further cited Meenu Johal’s involvement in “talent identification, managing training, conduct of national championships and other administrative activities”.However, it did not provide details of athletes she had coached at the highest level of the sport.“Being qualified in powerboat handling is basically equivalent to having a licence to operate a boat,” the former sailing athlete said.“T293 is an entry level class of boats. It is not an Olympic event. But while T293 is getting approval for funding and assistance, events in the Asian Games and Olympics are not getting the same level of support, but that is what TOPS is supposed to be for,” the stakeholder said.It is also pertinent to note that the Johals’ son, Uday Veer, competes in the same Techno 293 event as Priyanshi, and that Meenu Johal has accompanied him as a parent during competitions in the past.“Optimist and Techno293 are junior pathway classes that provide progression to senior sailing classes. Hence, comparing the son’s participation in the Techno293 class with Priyanshi Patil’s participation in YOG 2026 is misplaced,” the ministry’s spokesperson replied to a specific query.“It is clarified that he (NS Johal) had duly disclosed the relevant details concerning his son and wife to the Competent Authority in the Ministry at the time of seeking approval for the tour,” it added. Yet, neither of the athletes concerned takes part in the optimist class.