After a female cyclist’s complaint against the chief coach of inappropriate behaviour during a training stint in Europe, the Sports Authority of India has decided to call the entire contingent of athletes back to India, PTI reported on Wednesday.
As per the complaint emailed to the SAI, the cyclist had listed out a series of approaches made by chief coach RK Sharma, according a report in The Indian Express. It included allegedly forcing himself into her room, offering a “post-training massage” and forcefully trying to pull her towards him, and asking her to “sleep with him” during a camp in Slovenia last month.
The complaint also reportedly stated that Sharma told the cyclist he wanted the athlete to be his wife. When she refused, the coach allegedly threatened to ruin her career by “removing her from the National Centre of Excellence” and ensuring she would “sell vegetables on the road”. When the rider chose to leave the camp and return to India, Sharma allegedly phoned her family and requested them to marry her as she had no future in the sport, the report added.
Onkar Singh, Chairman of the Cycling Federation of India, told PTI that SAI has decided to shorten the training tour.
“SAI official called up CFI this morning and said all the contingent including coach RK Sharma will be called back immediately from Slovenia,” Singh told PTI.
Update: Statement from SAI on Wednesday evening:
“The Sports Authority of India had constituted an enquiry committee to hear the case of a National level cyclist’s complaint against a coach of inappropriate behaviour during a foreign exposure trip in Slovenia which was organised by the Cycling Federation of India. The committee has submitted its preliminary report today and prima facie the case is established and the allegations of the athlete are found to be true.
“The coach who was hired on recommendation of the Cycling Federation of India had a contract with the Sports Authority of India. Following the report, SAI has terminated the contact of the coach with immediate effect. The committee will continue detailed investigation into the case and submit a final report.”
While SAI had already called back the complainant and formed an enquiry committee to look into the matter, the Indian contingent, consisting of five male and one female cyclists, has now been called back. They were originally scheduled to return on June 14 after the training-cum-competition stint ahead of the Asian Championships scheduled to be held in New Delhi from June 18.
Sharma has been with the national team since 2014.
The cyclist reportedly left the camp and met with Pushpendra Garg, the CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme, who booked a ticket for June 3.
“After we got to know about the incident and that she was not comfortable, we immediately told her ‘we will get you back’. During the period, SAI officials and the athlete’s relationship manager were in touch with her,” Garg told The Indian Express.
The issue was first acknowledged by SAI in a statement issued on Monday.
“The Sports Authority of India received a complaint from a cyclist of inappropriate behaviour by a coach during a foreign exposure camp in Slovenia. The coach was appointed on the recommendation of the Cycling Federation of India,” the SAI statement earlier this week stated.
“Following the compliant by the athlete, SAI has immediately brought her back to India to ensure her safety and has also constituted a committee to investigate the matter. The matter is being dealt on priority and will be resolved shortly.”
Read the full Indian Express report here.
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