Woman footballers accuse AIFF official of assault
Union Minister Anurag Thakur directed AIFF to take strict action against its official, Deepak Sharma, after two women footballers filed a complaint of physical assault by him in Goa
TWO female footballers were physically assaulted by an All India Football Federation (AIFF) member during the Indian Women’s League tournament in Goa.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, has ordered the AIFF to take strict legal action against the accused, Deepak Sharma, who is an executive committee member of AIFF.
In a social media post, the minister said that the Ministry of Sports has taken serious note of an alleged physical assault upon female footballers by an AIFF official. He also informed that the AIFF was directed to take immediate action in the case and ensure the safety of women players.
"The ministry has further directed AIFF to take strong legal action and inform the ministry about actions taken. The safety and security of players are our utmost priority," wrote Union Minister Anurag Thakur on X on Saturday.
The two female footballers from the India Women's League 2 club Khad FC complained about the incident on Friday, reported Times of India. The accused, Deepak Sharma, is a Himachal Pradesh Football Association's general secretary and deputy chairman of AIFF’s competitions committee.
According to the TOI report, Deepak Sharma got angry with the two girls after they went to their hotel rooms to boil eggs. Afterwards, he “stormed into their rooms and slapped them, assaulted them," TOI quoted the victims.
Accuused AIIF official used to drink alcohol in front of players
In their complaint, the players alleged that they had gone to their rooms after dinner to boil eggs. According to them, Deepak Sharma stormed into their rooms, slapping and assaulting them physically, according to the report.
The players also said that the senior official was always in an “inebriated state". Moreover, he used to carry alcohol with him wherever the team travelled and even drank alcohol in front of female footballers, reported the TOI.
The Himachal Pradesh club and other clubs are currently in Goa to participate in the ongoing Indian Women’s League 2 championship. After the complaint, players also expressed fear for their safety. Later, the Goa Football Association (GFA) visited the footballers and assured them of safety.
