Games they play

Increasing number of sexual harassment cases in sports are coming to light. It’s time to speak up, says Spriha Srivastava…

 

A student of class 10 in Chandigarh, Ruchika lived with her father and younger brother. She had lost her mother when she was 10. A happy-go-lucky girl, her laughter would light up her home; she was the pillar her friends leaned on and although very young, she seldom shirked any responsibility. Ruchika indulged in plenty of sports, tennis being her favourite. She’d spend hours after school at the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association practising slices and smashes with her best friend. However, her happiness and for that matter her life weren’t to last long. The founder and president of that tennis association and Inspector General of Police, SPS Rathore, was hooked to watching her play and then looked for excuses to speak to her. 

 

Initially started as conversations about tennis and pursuing it for a profession eventually turned ugly as the young girl saw through his lecherous intent and spurned his advances. Unable to take rejection, the slimy superior forced himself on her. What followed is a story that made headlines for years together. Ruchika gave up on her violated dignity and life, and her grieving kin continue to wait for proper justice and closure to their precious one’s ugly end. 

 

Ruchika had dreams of becoming a sportstar, and therefore was drawn to the one who claimed to show her the way to her dreams, but led her down his alley of lust instead. This case apparently is not an exception; type ‘sexual abuse in sports’ on Google and there will be thrown up in the results several incidents of outrage in swimming, basketball, football etc. Shocking perhaps, but what’s definitely strange is that you wouldn’t see any results from India except that one odd case of the hockey player, TS Ranjitha Devi’s charges of sexual abuse against her coach (more on that in a bit). But is it that sexual abuse in sports doesn’t happen in India or is it conveniently brushed under the carpet? Well, let’s not believe the former and let’s not dismiss the latter either. 

 

Mr A Singh, Director of Coaching, Lawn Tennis Association explained, “Cases of sexual abuse are not as rampant in India as in other parts of the world because here, there is greater deference to traditional diktats of morality. Sports can however be more subject to such menace because it is a field populated with youngsters, and usually young boys and girls are the most vulnerable targets.” He denies any incident of sexual transgression in tennis though. “95 per cent of times parents travel with their children. And other older boys and girls are well taken care of by the administration”, said Mr Singh. He also mentioned special training given to coaches that included guidelines on dealing with and handling the moods and behaviour of young sportspersons, especially during their growing up years, and code of conduct about appropriate physical and emotional proximity. 

 

12-year-old Vinay (name changed to protect identity) was a student in his locality’s football club in Karnataka and was one blessed with tremendous talent. It obviously raised no eyebrows to see him become the coach’s favourite. Someone who looked forward to those hours of play on the field, Vinay suddenly was playing truant at playing sessions. Initially his mother laid it on laziness and his whims, but got a little worried when one day he snapped at her and asked to be spared any more football. “I sat Vinay down and asked him about the problem; he had been molested by the coach. Vinay wasn’t a shy kid, so it was easy to make him talk about it,” said his mother. The coach had also threatened to rusticate Vinay from the club should he mention it to anyone. One such incident and Vinay decided to give up on his favourite activity. Imagine the damage sexual abuse does to the less vocal ones and those without so much as a support system to back them up. Shiny Wilson – National Champion in 800 metres for 14 years, now retired – strongly agreed to the possibility and the high probability of sexual abuse in sports. “It’s not only girls; boys are equally vulnerable targets,” she said. And added a piece of advice, “In such cases, sports persons, especially girls succumb to pressure. If you fear your career may be in jeopardy, approach the senior players first for help. But be cautious and make smart moves. Also, make sure to maintain a decent code of conduct to avoid such circumstances.” Bureaucracy and politics can strangle the life out of a sportsperson’s career in cases like this, but “never give in”, she reiterates. “The federation – Sports Authority of India – and the authorities will be supportive,” assured Shiny.

 

Hockey player TS Ranjitha Devi was perhaps the first whistle blower in the history of sports in India. Ranjitha had accused her coach, MK Kaushik for making indecent passes at her, and though Kaushik denied it, media uproar forced him to give up his post. Zafar Iqbal, former hockey captain of India and one of the members of the committee that was set up to investigate, refused to believe it. “I know Kaushik for the last 20 years and personally, I was shocked to hear this about him,” he expressed. “When the investigations were underway, Ranjitha confessed that there wasn’t any physical contact, but it was his behaviour and gestures that made her uncomfortable and therefore take action," added Zafar Iqbal. He also echoed Shiny’s thoughts about “tactfully” handling such situations. “Blowing up the case in the media spoils the reputation of the sport. If what happened with Ranjitha is to be believed, yes it is unfair, but one should approach the federation first. Communicate your resentment towards such behaviour explicitly. But first sort it out within the sports fraternity,” was Zafar Iqbal’s suggestion. 

 

Zafar Iqbal speaking in defence of coach Kaushik does highlight the flip side – that of coaches and their positions of power being susceptible to manipulation. What if a player tries to take undue advantage of the coach? National coach of squash, Cyrus Poncha, advises coaches to be very vigilant. “It’s a delicate situation to handle and so any possibility should be nipped at the very first hint.” Arjuna Award-winning athlete, Ashwini Nachappa added, “How one handles it, whether it is the coach or the athlete up to mischief, solely depends on one’s values in life; it is important to be able to know right from wrong.” 

 

In India, sports is no longer the extra-curricular waste of time; swimsuits and tennis shorts are almost alternative uniforms in many educational institutions. But while you pull up your socks, it is important to be aware enough not to be blinded by the spotlight and fall prey to unconscientious regents who forget that with great power comes great responsibility. 

 

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