Delhi/Imphal, July 23 2010: Taking a serious view of the complaints filed by a player from Manipur against the Head Coach of the Indian Hockey team, MK Kaushik, Chief Minister O Ibobi and YAS Minister Y Biren have sent similar missives to the Union Sports Minister, MS Gill to take up stringent action against all guilty.

The complaint was filed by Km Th Ranjit, a member of the Indian Women's Hockey team against the Head Coach for mental harassment and verbal abuse.

Not taking things lying down, the Chief Minister and YAS Minister N Biren have sent separate but similar missives to the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr MS Gill to take steps to ensure the players were not harassed in any form and the coach in question be given stringent punishment.

In their petition to the Union Minister, the Chief Minister State YAS Minister N Biren drew the attention of the Union Minister of Sports Dr MS Gill that Th Ranjita Devi, a National woman hockey player from Manipur and a Commonwealth Games probable, had lodged a complaint against the Head coach, MK Kaushik, to Hockey India and Union Minister of Sports for mental harassment and verbal abuse while attending National camp for preparation of India team in the last many years.

The complaint was supported by thirty one women Hockey players.

The matter has already been highlighted in all National media as well as in Manipur.

It was revealed that she was not selected in the National team for the Asian Women Hockey Championships as a result of her refusal to concede to the demand of the coach.

The Chief Minister highlighted that it was a matter of serious concern and such behaviour from a coach might affect the sentiment of all sections of the society in general and young upcoming State players in particular.

He also underlined that the players from the North Eastern region of the country were being discriminated and not treated at par with the fellow players from the rest of the country especially during the National coaching camps, selection in the National team for the International championships etc.

The Chief Minister and State YAS Ministers cited a few examples like, the last minute withdrawal of Manipuri weightlifter Monika from Indian team for the last Olympic Games and the defeat of Manipur in the Santosh Trophy held at Kerala wherein Manipur team was defeated by Goa due to the one-sided judgement of the referee concerned who was later barred by the All India Football Federation.

Manipur Sports Minister N Biren requested the Union Minister of Sports to intervene into the matter and to take up steps to ensure that the players were not harassed in any form whatsoever and that the coach in question be given stringent punishment to check recurrence of such ugly incident in future.

The President of Manipur Olympics Association Bijoy Koijam, while talking to the media here today said that the incident was very unfortunate and very shameful in Indian sports history.

He described Manipur as one of the leading States in the country producing a lot of sportspersons of National and international repute.

He termed the incident as some sort of discrimination against the North East people.

He remarked that North East people were cultured people, not 'cheap' people.

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