Allegations of sex offense rock India’s contingent of Asian Parahers; the swimmer faces a lifetime ban

Mohammad Shams Alam Shaikh (Image credit: Instagram) NEW DELHI: The Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya was left embarrassed after para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh was detained by the Japanese police on charges of sexually harassing and harassing a hotel employee. The 40-year-old, once the world number one in his event, was sent back to India on Tuesday, a day after the alleged incident, and faces the prospect of a lifetime ban from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).A senior PCI official, who is part of the Indian delegation in Nagoya and has been handling the situation, confirmed the development to TOI, describing the alleged misconduct as “reprehensible and intolerable” and said there could be “no justification” for such behavior by an athlete representing the country on the international stage.“Aalam is staring at nothing less than a life ban for defaming the entire Indian delegation participating in the Asian Games and embarrassing the country on the world stage,” the official said.According to an official, the incident took place on Monday at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, where the Indian para swimming team was staying. At the time the alleged misconduct occurred, the employee was allegedly performing cleaning duties in the swimmer’s room.“The local organizing committee (LOC) informed the chef-de-mission’s (CDM) office that there was an alleged sexual harassment and molestation at the hotel and that the Indian sportsperson was detained by the local police,” the official said.“When we arrived at the hotel, the police and the hotel manager were already there. We were told that the athlete inappropriately touched the cleaning lady, made sexually colored gestures, tried to touch her and made sexual suggestions. She ran outside and informed her superiors. That’s what the police and hotel staff told us,” the official added.The official said the delegation apologized to the hotel authorities and staff. Following a complaint, the police arrested Shaikh and took him to the local police station. The official said authorities were seeking his arrest and that he would be formally arraigned.The LOC subsequently intervened and the Indian delegation was asked to issue a written apology to the staff and ensure that the athlete left Japan. Shaikh was moved to another hotel for the night and booked on the first available flight, which leaves Nagoya at around 2pm local time on Tuesday, the official said. After submitting a written apology, he was fired, according to the official’s account.“The police authorities clearly recorded the accusation of a sexual offense in their formal complaint in Japanese. We can confirm this because I have seen it,” the official said.The official added that the incident had distracted senior Indian officials from the contingent’s ongoing sports campaign. “Instead of concentrating on the games and performances of our athletes, we spent several hours at the police station and later at the hotel premises convincing the authorities. We were embarrassed in front of everyone,” said the official.He added that the employee was in deep shock when the delegation returned to the hotel. The hotel and the LOC, he said, were seeking an update on the action India would take and warned they could initiate formal legal proceedings if they were not satisfied with the response.The PCI has informed the government in New Delhi about the proposed action, the official said. After the Games, PCI officials, para-swimming administrators and delegation members will discuss the matter and recommend strict sanctions to the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI).“The CDM office has already recommended a life ban. A formal decision will be taken in a meeting in Delhi after our return,” the official said.Shaikh, who hails from Bihar’s Madhubani district and lives with his family in Mumbai’s Dharavi, was sent home on Wednesday without attending his scheduled events.A former world number one in the 100m butterfly (S5) and 50m breaststroke (SB4) according to World Para Swimming records, Shaikh represented India at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta and won the 200m breaststroke gold at the Reykjavík International Games last year, setting Indian and Asian records.The incident came as Indian hockey referee and technical official Gurinder Singh Sangha was sent home from the Asian Games in Nagoya following complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by a Malaysian hockey official and a hotel employee.