Foul play: Charges against coaches a blot on Indian sports

TWO disturbing cases have shocked the Indian sports fraternity in the new year. A hockey coach has been arrested in Haryana’s Rewari for allegedly raping and impregnating a Class-12 student, while a teenaged national-level shooter has accused her coach of sexually assaulting her during the recent National Championship in Faridabad. These incidents are a grim reminder of the rot that plagues the country’s playing arena. The script is chillingly familiar: a coach (or an administrator) doubles as a sexual predator, misusing his power or authority to target budding players.

It’s a pity that no lessons have been learnt from previous cases. Multiple reports have already warned of the scale of the problem. A UN Women-UNESCO study, published in 2023, found that one-third of the female athletes in India experienced sexual abuse, harassment or inappropriate behaviour by a male coach. Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who had a controversial tenure as the Wrestling Federation of India chief, continues to dismiss the serious allegations levelled by players against him as a “conspiracy”. A couple of months ago, he appeared as the “guest of honour” at an event to mark the resumption of the Pro Wrestling League, even as he is facing trial in a Delhi court on the charges of sexual abuse.

India’s sporting ambitions — hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and making a bid for the 2036 Olympics — ring hollow if athletes remain vulnerable to being harassed by the very individuals in whom they and their parents have reposed trust. Investment in infrastructure and training cannot substitute for robust safeguards. This requires independent oversight of federations, mandatory background checks, an unambiguous code of conduct and confidential reporting channels. Swift, transparent action on the basis of allegations must be the norm without fail.