HI president calls emergency meeting amid multiple sexual harassment complaints

Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Tirkey on Tuesday called an emergency meeting of the executive board following several cases of sexual harassment, misconduct, ethical violations and disciplinary failures against coaches and officials within the organisation.“These incidents seriously damage the reputation of HI, Hockey India, our sponsors and Hockey India League franchises,” the president wrote in an email, a copy of which is in TOI’s possession. The latest cases include assistant coach Sudhir Golla, who was removed from the U-18 boys’ camp in Bhopal after it emerged that he was sacked by the Jharkhand government from the Eklavya Hockey Training Center in Ranchi due to absenteeism and harassment complaints.Earlier last month, an anonymous complaint was also sent to the HI president and Sports Authority of India (SAI) CEO alleging serious misconduct – including sexual harassment and abuse of power – against Hockey India officials.Among the allegations reported exclusively by TOI, the email accused the official of “sexual harassment and misconduct towards female officials, coaches and players”.According to sources, it was after this complaint that the president began conducting a thorough investigation over the past month and spoke to a number of officials.“Several female referees have privately acknowledged concerns regarding some of the reported matters. However, many are reluctant to formally come forward for fear of retaliation, victimization or loss of privacy,” the president wrote in an email to executive members Tuesday afternoon.Apart from these reported incidents, according to an RTI reply to TOI dated May 5, SAI also received a complaint on March 15. “The same has been forwarded to Hockey India for necessary action. However, response from Hockey India is still awaited,” the reply added.Additionally, the board member alleged that he was verbally threatened by an official at Hockey India for attempting to report some of these cases.The HI President thus requested the HI CEO to convene the Executive Board meeting and confirm the date as per the rules.It outlined five agendas, including reviewing all ongoing and reported cases and strengthening POSH compliance and reporting mechanisms.The remaining three points are the protection of whistleblowers and whistleblowers, accountability to individuals or bodies found complicit or negligent, and the adoption of a robust zero tolerance policy and disciplinary framework.“This issue goes beyond individual cases. It concerns the credibility, culture and future of Hockey India. We must act decisively, transparently and collectively to protect the dignity of our athletes and the integrity of our sport,” concluded Tirkey.