New Delhi: A selection row has erupted in Indian para cycling with athletes planning a protest at Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium on Thursday after only a single individual — Arshad Shaikh — was included in the final contingent for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games.The development comes after six para cyclists had earlier been unanimously recommended for the event by the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and Paralympic Committee of India’s (PCI) joint selection committee in its Aug 28 meeting.Shaikh (MC2 sports category), Pavan Kumar Kommoji (MC3), Sameer (MC4), Prashant Arkal (MH4), Vishva Vasani (WC3) and Lisha Das (WC4) were the names originally shortlisted. Their selection was based on performance, minimum qualifying standards (MQS), Asian/Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rankings and international qualification.The athletes say the process reducing six recommended cyclists to one has not been explained. “We are asking for equal opportunity based on performance, qualification and merit,” they said in a joint mail to authorities, seeking athlete-wise reasons and criteria.They say they bore international expenses, equipment and prosthetic costs themselves. A total of 14 able-bodied cyclists were selected for the just-concluded able-bodied Asian Games. The para cycling team is due to leave for Japan on Oct 13, with their classification begins Oct 14 and events run from Oct 19-22.The 2025 Asian rankings showed Shaikh first/6th in road/track events, Kommoji 3rd/3rd in road/track, Sameer 3rd/5th in road/track, Arkal 2nd in road; Vasani 2nd/3rd in road/track and Das 3rd/2nd in road/track.In 2026, the positions were Shaikh 2nd/3rd in road/track, Kommoji 2nd/3rd, Sameer 8th/5th, Arkal 2nd, Vasani 3rd/2nd and Das 6th/2nd. Track rankings do not apply to MH4 category.India was sixth in men’s and fourth in women’s Asian UCI Nations Rankings on Feb 2, 2026. Under qualification criteria, men ranked 4th-6th received four slots, while women ranked 3rd-4th received three.