Woman Cyclist Accuses National Team Coach of Inappropriate Behaviour

The Indian team is in Slovenia as part of preparations for the Asian Championship, which will be in New Delhi.

Representative image: An Indian cyclist has been flown back home by the SAI after she accused the coach of inappropriate behaviour

Image: IANS

During a training camp in Slovenia, a top Indian women’s cyclist accused the national team coach RK Sharma of inappropriate behaviour. The athlete has since been brought back to India, to ensure her safety, according to SAI.

The athlete had submitted a complaint to SAI after which they swung into action.

The SAI and Cycling Federation of India (CFI) have formed two separate inquiry committees to look into the allegation.

In a statement, the CFI said that its officials “stand with the complainant”. The federation’s own probe committee comprises CFI secretary-general Maninder Pal Singh, Kerala cycling president SS Sudeesh Kumar, Maharashtra coach Dipali Nikam and CFI assistant secretary VN Singh, reported Indian Express.

Meanwhile, SAI said that it “has received a complaint from a cyclist of inappropriate behaviour by a coach during a foreign exposure camp in Slovenia”.

“Following the complaint 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,” it said, adding that the “matter is being dealt (with) on priority and will be resolved shortly.”

The Indian team is in Slovenia as part of preparations for the Asian Championship, which will be between 18-22 June in New Delhi. The rest of the team is expected to be back four days before the Asian Championship.

Sharma, the sprint coach against whom the complaint has been made, has been with the team since 2014.

“The coach was appointed on the recommendation of the Cycling Federation of India,” SAI said.

'Unacceptable': Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur has condemned the incident, calling it "unacceptabe."

"Our sportspersons are excelling but such incidents are unacceptable. We called back woman athlete and coach and enquiry was initiated against him. There's s no scope for it," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.