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A female coach at the Sports Authority of India’s National Boxing Academy in Rohtak is accused of sexually harassing a minor boxer. Despite an FIR, SAI and BFI found no evidence.
Boxing representative image (AP Photo)
A woman coach at the Sports Authority of India’s National Boxing Academy in Rohtak has been accused of sexual harassment by a minor boxer. According to the FIR filed by the boxer’s parents, the minor has fallen into depression due to ongoing “mental and physical abuse.”
PTI has a copy of the FIR but is withholding the name of the accused as the matter is under investigation.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) confirmed receiving a complaint from the 17-year-old victim about intimidation and slapping incidents but stated they were not informed of any sexual harassment, as alleged in the FIR. Both organisations reported that their internal investigations found no evidence against the coach, who continues to lead the national camp for junior and youth boxers.
What Is The Accusation?
In the FIR filed at a Rohtak police station, the victim claimed that the coach attempted to forcibly remove her clothes, slapped her multiple times, threatened to ruin her career, and called her a “person of bad character.” in front of other boxers, resulting in her isolation.
The complaint against the coach cites sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 351 (3) (criminal intimidation) of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, along with section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
“…we have not received copy of any such FIR as of now. A complaint was however lodged by a female Boxer of NBA Rohtak through email, on 24/4/25 in which she alleged Mental and Physical harassment by a female coach during an invitational boxing tournament held in Ireland from 25th March 2025 to 3rd April 2025. No allegation of sexual harassment was levelled in that complaint,” SAI Regional Centre (Sonepat) stated in response to PTI query.
“A detailed inquiry was conducted in which statements of the complainant, the coach concerned, the fellow coaches and staff members and fellow athletes were taken and the allegations made could not be established.
“SAI is committed to ensuring clean sports and will extend any cooperation required during investigation based on the FIR, at any point of time,” it added.
What Investigation Found?
A thorough investigation was conducted, gathering statements from the complainant, the coach, fellow coaches, staff members, and athletes, but the allegations could not be substantiated. SAI affirmed its commitment to ensuring clean sports and pledged to cooperate with the investigation based on the FIR.
The victim’s parents expressed dissatisfaction with the BFI’s handling of the matter, detailing the alleged abuse. They claimed that during the Ireland tour, the coach humiliated and molested the boxer.
“This coach had tried to touch her inappropriately in the past too but my child could not understand her actions at that time,” the FIR alleged.
The parents also alleged that the coach punished the victim with strenuous physical exercise for failing to record a training video as demanded. Despite apologising and requesting the coach’s assistance during the fight, the coach refused to accompany her or allow other coaches to help her. CCTV footage purportedly shows the victim alone in the ring.
“She apologised to the coach for not recording the video as well as the coach desired and requested her to do the seconding (coaching assistance during bouts) for her in the fight.
“But the coach did not go with her for the fight and did not allow any other coach to accompany her either. She even stopped my daughter’s fellow boxers from helping or supporting her during the bout. We have CCTV footage to prove that my daughter was alone in the ring.”
The parents further alleged that the coach, who accused the victim of talking excessively to boys, insulted her in front of other boxers and demanded her phone. When the victim went to her room to retrieve it, the coach followed, locked the door, and tried to touch her inappropriately. The coach then attempted to forcibly remove her clothes and slapped her multiple times when she resisted. The coach also forced the victim to write a statement saying she had two phones and used one to talk to boys.
“The coach accused my daughter of talking excessively to boys. She called other boxers, insulted her in front of them and asked her to bring her phone. When my daughter headed to her room to do as instructed, she followed her inside and tried to touch her inappropriately after locking the room from inside,” the FIR states.
“She tried to forcibly take off my daughter’s clothes and when she resisted and pushed her, the coach repeatedly slapped her. She then dragged her to the training hall and asked my daughter to give in writing that she had two phones and was using one of them to talk to boys,” they alleged.
The parents claimed that the victim was repeatedly slapped for refusing to comply with the coach’s instructions. However, SAI’s investigation found that other boxers on the tour did not corroborate these allegations.
The coach allegedly threatened the victim with consequences if she complained, called her mentally unstable, confiscated her phone, demanded the password, and took her personal diary. The parents reported that their daughter is now in a state of depression and shock.
“She threatened my daughter of consequences if she dared complained against her behaviour. She called her mentally unstable as well. The coach not only took my daughter’s phone but also forced her to share its password after slapping her. She also took away her personal diary. My daughter is in depression and in a state of shock,” they alleged.
They learned of their child’s ordeal from one of her campmates and rushed to Rohtak, where she finally revealed her experience.
(With inputs from PTI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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