Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Turki on Tuesday called an emergency executive board meeting following several cases of sexual harassment, misconduct, ethical violations and disciplinary failures against coaches and officials within the organisation.“These incidents are seriously damaging the reputation of HI, Indian Hockey, our sponsors and Hockey India League franchises,” the president wrote in an email, a copy of which is with TOI. Among the most recent cases is that of assistant coach Sudhir Gola, who was removed from an under-18 boys’ camp in Bhopal after it emerged that he had been sacked by the Jharkhand government from the Eklavya Hockey Training Center in Ranchi over complaints of absenteeism and harassment.Earlier last month, an anonymous complaint was sent to the HI president as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) director general, alleging serious misconduct, including sexual harassment and abuse of power, against a Hockey India official.Among the allegations exclusively reported by TOI, the email accuses the official of “sexually harassing and misbehaving with women officials, coaches and players”.According to sources, it was after the complaint that the President launched a full investigation over the past month and has spoken to several officials.“Several female umpires have privately confirmed concerns about some of the reported cases. However, many are reluctant to come forward formally for fear of retaliation, victimization or loss of privacy,” the president added in a mail sent to members of the executive body on Tuesday afternoon.Apart from these reported incidents, SAI also received a complaint on March 15, according to an RTI reply to TOI on May 5. “It has been referred to Hockey India for necessary action. However, response from Hockey India is still awaited,” the reply added.Additionally, a board member also alleged that a Hockey India official had verbally threatened him for trying to report some of these cases.The President of HI hereby requests the Director General of HI to convene the meeting of the Executive Board and confirm the date as per rules.It has developed five agendas, including reviewing all ongoing and reported cases and strengthening POSH compliance and reporting mechanisms.The remaining three points are protection for complainants and whistleblowers, accountability for individuals or entities found to be complicit or negligent, and adoption of a robust zero-tolerance policy and disciplinary framework.“This issue is beyond individual issues. It is about the reputation, culture and future of Hockey India. We must act decisively, transparently and collectively to protect the dignity of our players and the integrity of our game,” Turki concluded.
