Jr shooter ‘harassed’ hotel staff in Italy last month
Offender,who's currently with team in Peru,escaped charges as he's minor.
In the latest case of misbehaviour within India’s shooting contingent,the National Rifle Association of India NRAI suspended a junior double trap shooter for being involved in an alleged sexual harassment incident that happened during the team’s training camp held in Masari,Italy,last month. The camp was to help the shooters prepare for the Shotgun World Championships currently on in Lima,Peru.
The 17-year-old allegedly misbehaved with a female member of the hotel staff. The NRAI immediately withdrew the shooter’s name from the Championship after the team manager Amarjung Singh reported the matter to the NRAI president Raninder Singh.
Made to apologise
The team captain Manavjit Singh Sandhu was immediately briefed on the issue. The shooter was made to apologise to the victim in front of the team,and the manager then followed with an apology on behalf of the nation. The shooter was also asked to apologise to the Indian team for letting them down.
The said shooter had won a medal in an international competition in Europe early this year.
Further,the statements of the team manager,team captain,the alleged victim and the shooter have been recorded and the case is to be referred to the athletes commission as soon as the shooter reaches India.
The shooter is currently with the team,but in isolation. It is learnt that police were involved in the case too,but charges weren’t framed against the shooter as he was a minor.
“It is a deplorable incident,where the first information tells us that the athlete is clearly in the wrong,” Raninder Singh said.
“Appropriate actions have been initiated. The Sports Authority of India SAI and ministry of sports were informed immediately,” he added.
Repeat offender?
Incidentally,the same shooter was reprimanded by the NRAI when a female shooter had lodged a complaint against him a few months ago. Just a couple of months before that,the NRAI had handed two shooters one-year and six-month bans respectively for mentally harassing a female shooter even though they were absolved of charges of sexual harassment. That incident led to the NRAI initiating a slew of codes to be followed by the shooting contingent on tours.
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