Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 24 2010:
After Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and Sports Minister N Biren sent similar letters to the Union Sports Minister demanding exemplary action against head coach of Indian hockey team MK Kaushik, the entire sports fraternity of the State has lambasted the unbecoming conduct of the coach.
The alleged mental harassment and verbal abuse meted on hockey player Th Ranjita Devi by MK Kaushik, has enraged the sports organisations and athletes of the State alike.
Sports associations and prominent atheles including four-time world women boxing champioin MC Kom categorically demanded fitting action against the coach.
Ranjita, a national woman hockey player and a Commonwealth Games probable, lodged a complaint to Hockey India and Union Sports Minister MS Gill against Kaushik for mental harassment and verbal abuse while attending national camps for preparation of India team in the last many years.
Significantly, 31 women hockey players supported the complaint.
"Being a woman athlete from Manipur, I feel so bad to hear such news.
If the head coach (Kaushik) is found guilty of the sordid crimes, he should be punished accordingly," reacted Mary Kom.
To ensure non-recurrence of the incident in future, Mary emphasized the need to induct woman as head coach in any women sports team of the country.
Only woman knows the problems of woman and sometimes certain difficulties are faced by woman athlete to raise such problem to male coach, Mary Kom, a Khel Ratna awardee, said.
Joining the tirade Hockey Olympian P Neelkamal Singh expressed disappointment over the unwanted development.
"I feel so bad to hear the news and it was so unfortunate," Neelkamal, who participated in Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, said.
Leishangthem Surjit, president of the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA) said the incident has consistently discouraged the upcoming women athletes of the country and the north east region in particular.
Since Manipur, the mini powerhouse of sports of the nation, has produced a large number of international players and that they represented India through their national coaches and other officials, there is a need to streamline the systems in this regard, he said.