Hockey India clears junior women's team coach after internal inquiry finds no evidence of sexual misconduct, allowing him to travel for the World Cup in Chile. (Image Credit: X)
Hockey India said an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct against its junior women's team coach did not find any evidence of wrongdoings, adding that the accused coach is free to travel with the team for the World Cup in Santiago, Chile, starting December 1.
The internal investigation was initiated after media reports highlighted the alleged misconduct by the coach. However, Hockey India said that neither the federation nor the Sports Authority of India received any formal complaint. In a statement, HI added that it had conducted the inquiry as a proactive measure for transparency and athlete trust.
HI said that under the POSH Act, 2013, the ICC spearheaded an inquiry into the incident. All the players going to Chile, apart from other support staff, were spoken to individually by the committee members. The inquiry thus established beyond doubt that no evidence of misconduct existed and the players had full faith in their coaching and support team.
A senior HI official confirmed that no athlete filed a written complaint. Both the Sports Ministry and SAI too claimed that they didn't receive any written complaint in this regard. However, HI carried out an internal enquiry to clear all doubts.
Hockey India asserted its zero tolerance for sexual harassment. The federation has instituted strict safeguards as set out under its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), including deploying female support staff with the team. These steps shall ensure high standards of safety, especially for women and minor athletes.
The inquiry is over, and the coach has been cleared to go with the junior women's team to the World Cup. The federation reassured that athlete safety and well-being remain a priority and that all protocols will continue to be strictly followed.
This swift and transparent handling of allegations sends a strong message that Hockey India is committed to sustaining a safe and professional environment where athletes can focus on performance, unfettered by harassment issues, while the federation continues to strengthen its internal mechanisms in protecting players.
