In Panaji, two female footballers from Khad FC have reported that Deepak Sharma, an executive committee member of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), physically assaulted them in a hotel room during the current Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2 in Goa.
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The two players lodged their complaints with the AIFF’s competitions committee on Friday, stating that the assault occurred on Thursday night.
“Yesterday (Thursday), as the dinner was over, we went to our rooms to boil eggs.”
The two players stated in their complaint, supported by three witnesses, that Deepak Sharma became enraged due to a certain reason and forcefully entered their room. They alleged that he proceeded to slap and physically assault them.
The Himachal Pradesh-based club, participating in IWL 2 in Goa, has Sharma serving as the general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association and as the deputy chairman of the AIFF’s competitions committee.
According to the players, Sharma was frequently intoxicated and carried alcohol during the team’s journey from Himachal to Delhi before the league. They mentioned witnessing him drinking in their presence.
Feeling fearful for their safety, the players sought intervention. This led the Goa Football Association (GFA) to take action. GFA officials visited the team hotel, where the team manager provided a written assurance guaranteeing the players’ safety.
“I take responsibility for all the girls and will drop the players safely at their homes. Nothing will go wrong,” manager Nanalita Sharma told GFA.
Late on Friday night, GFA submitted a written intimation to the Mapusa police, informing them that “some girls were assaulted by Deepak Sharma, one of the accompanying members of the team, who was allegedly in an inebriated condition.”
AIFF officials have verified the receipt of the complaint and stated that it has been promptly forwarded to its safety and safeguarding officer for necessary action.
Valanka Alemao, chairperson of the AIFF women’s football committee, expressed her immediate reaction upon viewing the complaint copy, emphasizing that such incidents cannot be tolerated. She assured that the AIFF will handle the matter appropriately.
“I have just seen the complaint copy and am rushing to see the team at the hotel. Such things cannot be tolerated. The AIFF will deal with this accordingly,” said Valanka Alemao.
In Goa, five teams are participating in IWL 2, with the final matches scheduled for Saturday.
Khad FC, despite losing all three of their previous games, will face City Bahadurgarh FC in their last match. City Bahadurgarh FC is expected to field only eight players due to twelve of them unexpectedly leaving to participate in the Haryana State Senior Women’s Championship.
FC Tuem from Goa and SAG Football Academy from Gujarat have both secured qualification for the next stage.
Allegations Against AIFF President Spark Calls for Resignation and Fresh Elections
Kalyan Chaubey, the President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), is facing allegations of failing to uplift Indian football and mishandling administrative duties, as stated by former president of the Andhra Pradesh Football Association, Gopalakrishna Kosaraju.
“Kalyan Chaubey has not risen to the challenges at hand and has, in addition, abused his authority. The AIFF is currently in disarray. Ever since the new management assumed control, there have been significant blunders,” remarked Kosaraju to Sports Now.
These accusations were previously supported by Nilanjan Bhattacharjee, the principal legal advisor of AIFF, who leveled serious accusations of corruption against Chaubey. However, the AIFF President refuted these allegations as unfounded.
Nevertheless, the possibility of fresh elections looms, with the Supreme Court of India acknowledging corruption claims during a recent hearing.
“It’s important to recognize that this is an interim committee, and once elections are announced, they will be obligated to step down. I can confidently predict that Kalyan Chaubey will not retain his position as AIFF President, nor will he secure a BJP ticket for the LS Polls. There are numerous allegations of misconduct against him,” asserted Kosaraju, who had also lodged a complaint with the Prime Minister’s Office, highlighting irregularities within AIFF.
Last week, CJI Chandrachud reportedly stated that upon finalization of the AIFF constitution, fresh elections would be conducted to appoint office bearers, prompting the interim elected body to relinquish their positions.
