Indian para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh has been deported from Japan following sexual misconduct & harrsement involving a female hotel employee during the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan. Officials confirmed this on Thursday (22 October). The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has recommended a lifetime ban against the 40-year-old athlete.
According to a senior PCI official who handled the matter on the ground, the incident occurred on Monday (19 October) at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, where the Indian para-swimming team was staying.
A female housekeeping employee was reportedly carrying out her duties in Shaikh’s room when the swimmer “inappropriately touched” her, “made sexually coloured gestures, attempted to grope her and made sexual advances.” The complaint was subsequently brought to the attention of the local organising committee and Indian delegation officials.
ABSOLUTE SHAME, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!😡 Indian para-swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh has reportedly been detained and deported from Japan following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a hotel staff member during the Asian Para Games 2026. The female staff member was reportedly carrying out his housekeeping duties when she was allegedly touched inappropriately by 40yo Aalam. This is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. The Paralympic Committee of India is reportedly considering a lifetime ban, pending a formal hearing. [India Today ]
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) October 22, 2026
After the complaint was filed. Japanese police detained Shaikh and took him to a local police station, where authorities initially sought his formal arrest and presentation before a court. The local organising committee subsequently intervened, and the Indian delegation was asked to furnish a written apology to the employee and arrange for Shaikh to leave Japan.
He was moved to another hotel for the night before being booked on the first available flight out of Nagoya, departing at around 2 pm local time on Tuesday, a day after the alleged incident.
“The Paralympic Committee of India maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexual misconduct or behaviour that violates the dignity, safety and rights of others. The Committee has established strict disciplinary guidelines and expects every member of the Indian contingent to uphold the highest standards of conduct, discipline and sportsmanship,” the PCI said in a statement.
The Indian delegation issued a written apology to the hotel management and the employee. A PCI official described the episode as “reprehensible and intolerable,” stating there could be “no justification” for such behaviour by an athlete representing the country abroad.
