This is not the first such complaint in Indian hockey.Image Credit source: PTI
A new controversy has arisen in Indian hockey. Hockey India has removed the coach associated with a junior Indian team. There were serious allegations of sexual harassment against the coach, due to which Hockey India took this action. A report has revealed that coach Sudhir Gola, who was attending the training camp in Bhopal with the Under-18 team, has been removed from his post. The Under-18 team has to play a series against Australia in Bhopal from Saturday 16th May.
Allegation of harassment in training center
This sensational revelation has been made in a report by Tribune. It has been told that the allegations of sexual harassment against coach Sudhir Gola were made in a training center in Ranchi, which is run by the Jharkhand government. When Sudhir Gola was a part of this training centre, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs of Jharkhand received many complaints against him. Acting on this, the Directorate had fired Gola on May 11 and appointed a woman coach in her place.
However, despite this, he was present in the camp with the Under-18 team in Bhopal and this raised questions. After this, Hockey India also decided to take action against the accused coach and expel him. In another report, Hockey India General Secretary Bholanath Singh said that as soon as the federation received the information from Jharkhand, they took immediate action and removed Sudhir Gola.
The coach of the senior women’s team had resigned
In the last few months, there have been many cases related to sexual harassment in Indian hockey. The most shocking case in this was related to the senior women’s hockey team, where experienced and well-known coach Harendra Singh had to resign after the allegations. Many players of the team had written a letter to the Sports Ministry complaining against Harendra Singh and accused him of misbehavior as well as lack of strategic understanding.
