By Dolly Chingakham: Jantar Mantar is in the news with wrestlers continuing their silent sit-in protest against the WFI president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat has alleged that the WFI president has been sexually exploiting women wrestlers for years, a charge denied by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
This is one of the cases where sexual harassment allegations by athletes against their coaches or administrators have come to light. With the protest likely to continue, let us see the actions taken when such allegations surfaced from the sporting fraternity.
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Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh Case:
Case: On 29 Dec 2022, a junior coach accused Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh of sexual harassment.
Action taken: Chandigarh Police booked Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh on charges of sexual harassment and wrongful confinement on the complaint of a woman coach on January 1, 2023.
Sandeep Singh gave up his portfolio on January 1, 2023.
Assistant coach Alex Ambrose case:
Case: In July 2022, India U-17 women’s football team assistant coach Alex Ambrose was accused of sexual harassment in their Europe tour.
Action taken: In July 2022, assistant coach Alex Ambrose was sacked following the allegations.
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Woman cyclist sexual harassment case:
Case: In June 2022, Indian cycling was embroiled in a controversy when a woman cyclist complained of “inappropriate behaviour” by national team chief coach RK Sharma during an overseas training camp in Slovenia.
Action taken: On June 8, 2022, Sports Authority of India (SAI) terminated the contract of chief cycling coach RK Sharma.
SAI sacked Tamil Nadu coach:
Case: In June 2018, about 15 junior athletes from Tamil Nadu sent a complaint in broken English to the SAI headquarters, alleging that the coach was seeking sexual favours from them.
Action taken: SAI sacked one coach from its Tamil Nadu centre.
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In the same year, then Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla called for exemplary punishment against coaches who allegedly sought sexual favours from junior athletes at the regional centers of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Coach booked for molestation of female cricketer:
Case: In Jan 2020, Gautam Gambhir took to Twitter and revealed how a girl reached out to him and sought his help after she was sexually harassed by her cricket coach.
Action taken: In Jan 2020, Delhi Police registered an FIR in connection with the alleged molestation of a female cricketer by her coach in southeast Delhi’s Nizamuddin area.
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Gymnast alleged sexual harassment:
Case: In September 2014, a female gymnast accused coach Manoj Rana and gymnast Chandan Pathak of sexual harassment.
Action taken: On September 17, 2014, however, SAI launched an inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment even as the accused, gymnastics coach Manoj Rana and gymnast Chandan Pathak, flew to Incheon for the 17th Asian Games.
Women’s hockey team accused coach of sexual harassment:
Case: In July 2010, a member of the Indian women’s hockey team accused the team’s coach and Olympian, Maharaj Kishan Kaushik, of sexual harassment.
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Action taken: Following sexual harassment allegations, Maharaj Kishan Kaushik resigned from his post. He was eventually absolved of all the charges by an inquiry committee formed by Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India.
Athletes who died by suicide following harassment:
Some instances have, however, resulted in tragedy. In April 2022, a coach was booked after a Kerala-born basketball player died by suicide in Bihar. The coach, Ravi Singh, was accused of mental and sexual harassment.
In May 2015, a 15-year-old Indian athlete died and three others were in hospital after allegedly consuming poisonous fruit in what was suspected to be a suicide pact.
The girls were allegedly being harassed by senior athletes and their trainer, their families alleged.
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In Nov 2009, a budding woman boxer allegedly committed suicide in her hostel at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium due to harassment by a coach.
What official data said: According to a reply in Rajya Sabha in July 2022, since 2017, 30 complaints of sexual harassment against the coaches and staff have been received by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), out of which two were anonymous complaints. The reply did not list what actions were taken and it only stated, “Necessary action has been taken in all 30 cases”.
In an RTI reply, between 2010 and 2020, there were 45 complaints of sexual harassment to SAI, of which 29 were against coaches. Of these, five coaches were penalised with a pay reduction, the contracts of two coaches were terminated, one was suspended, five were acquitted and one, unfortunately, died by suicide.
It remains to be seen what the Jantar Mantar protest will lead to.
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