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The cyclist, who was part of a team that travelled to Slovenia to train for the Asian Championship, has alleged that coach, R K Sharma, sexually harassed her.Within days of a top woman cyclist accusing the national sprint team chief coach R K Sharma of “inappropriate behaviour”, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) swung into action and terminated his contract, noting that “prima facie, the case is established and the allegations of the athlete are found to be true”. The swift action on the cyclist’s complaint is a welcome departure from how similar cases have been dealt with in the past: In 2020, an investigation by this newspaper had found that over a 10-year period, there were 45 complaints of sexual harassment at the SAI — 29 against coaches — which had resulted in five coaches being penalised with pay reduction, the contracts of two being terminated and the suspension of one. Many of the accused were simply transferred or penalised with a small cut in pension and, in several cases, even as enquiries dragged on, the coaches were allowed to continue working with young sportspersons.
This most recent case is a grim reminder of how vulnerable India’s young athletes remain to predators — many of whom are trainers, physiotherapists etc. with whom they work in close physical proximity, often travelling and sharing hotel rooms with them. There is a dreary familiarity to the sordid episode: The cyclist, who was part of a team that travelled to Slovenia to train for the Asian Championship, has alleged that Sharma forced himself into her room, offered her a “post-training massage”, asked her to sleep with him and said he wanted her to “be his wife”. Any resistance, he allegedly warned her, would mean the end of her career. Similar tactics of intimidation were alleged to have been used by P Nagarajan to silence many young women athletes, who had accused the Chennai-based athletics coach last year of preying on them under the guise of holding training sessions. The harrowing details recounted by Nagarajan’s accusers — of relentless mental and emotional pressure, nervous breakdowns and anxiety — find an echo in the cyclist’s account.
Overlooking abusive behaviour can, as in the Larry Nassar episode in US gymnastics — where investigation into the hundreds of complaints of sexual abuse was botched, with over 90 survivors now suing the FBI — take a devastating toll on the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of those who are preyed on. The revelations of sexual abuse in India’s sporting centres should also spur all stakeholders to come together and formulate better ways to protect athletes, many of whom are minors. The immediate response to the cyclist’s complaint and her removal to safety, and the fact that Sharma was punished are encouraging signs.
This editorial first appeared in the print edition on June 10, 2022 under the title ‘Foul play’.
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