'Spicing up Indian sports': After sexual assault in IPL, now sexual harassment in junior wrestling too

Sports and controversies in India are not a new thing. Recent on the list of controversy and that too grave in nature is that four junior India women wrestlers have written to sports minister Ajay Maken alleging sexual harassment by a coach at an Under-19 camp, which has led to the suspension of the coach by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), says a report in The Times Of India. The girls are now in Kazakhstan as part of the Indian contingent for the Asian Junior Wrestling Championship.

The young girls shot off a letter to Maken before leaving for the Asian meet and the matter is now being investigated by a three-member SAI committee, headed by Lucknow centre’s regional-director Rachana Govil.

“We will submit a report in 15 days. It’s a very serious and sensitive matter and the coach has been told not to travel with the team. He has been temporarily suspended till the inquiry is pending,” SAI director general Desh Deepak Verma told TOI on Saturday. “The girls have left for Kazakhstan along with other members of the team. It has been alleged that the coach used to make objectionable comments. We are looking into the details of the complaint,” he added.

India's slender hopes of a berth in the final were dashed with results of the last league matches not going their way but the team can still return home with a medal when they take on Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off in the Azlan Shah Cup, Sunday, says a report in The Indian Express.

India's nine points from six matches gave them the fourth position, which was finalised after the last round of league matches ended on Saturday. India will also be hoping to reverse the 2-3 loss of their league encounter to Great Britain, who finished third in the league standings with 11 points form six outings.

New Zealand's 12 points from six matches secured their first entry into the final of the Azlan Shah Cup, where they will meet Argentina, who also finished on 12 points in six games after Saturday's 1-0 victory over hosts Malaysia. New Zealand finished on top since they had a superior goal difference.

Meanwhile Indian striker SV Sunil was reprimanded on Saturday, but escaped a ban for showing his middle finger to spectators after scoring the match-winner against Pakistan in the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament.

According to media reports after announcing a graded payment system for senior team players, Hockey India is set to provide a stipend of Rs10,000 per month to the men and women’s probables in the junior India set-up.