Hockey India weighs lifetime bans

Hockey India is moving toward an internal disciplinary review after a series of sexual-harassment and misconduct allegations involving coaches, officials and support staff. President Dilip Tirkey has asked for an emergency executive board meeting and told board members the federation should consider “strong disciplinary action including life bans where warranted.” The latest push follows several complaints reported over recent weeks, including allegations against a Hockey India official and the removal of support staff member Sudhir Golla from the India U-18 boys’ national camp in Bhopal. Tirkey said in an email, cited by News18 and the Times of India, that the issue had damaged the reputation of Hockey India, Indian hockey, sponsors and Hockey India League franchises. (news18.com) ### Why is Hockey India discussing life bans now? May 20 became the trigger point because Tirkey circulated an email to board members calling for urgent action after what he described as months of controversy and repeated allegations. He said Hockey India must adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to sexual harassment, abuse of authority, intimidation and ethical misconduct, and said case-by-case responses were no longer enough. (news18.com) April 4 was an earlier marker in the crisis. The Times of India reported then that an anonymous complaint sent to Tirkey and Sports Authority of India officials accused a Hockey India official of sexual harassment, abuse of authority, coercion, repeated unwanted calls, demands for money and requests for unsolicited photographs. Tirkey told the newspaper an independent inquiry would be constituted. (news18.com) ### Which cases are part of the current crackdown? Sudhir Golla is the most recent named case. The Times of India reported on May 16 that the Jharkhand government removed him from the Eklavya Hockey Training Centre in Ranchi through an order dated May 11, citing absenteeism and harassment complaints and saying he had behaved inappropriately with girl trainees. Hockey India then removed him from the U-18 boys’ camp in Bhopal, according to the same report. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The broader review also reaches beyond one coach. Tirkey wrote that several women umpires had privately confirmed troubling incidents but were reluctant to file formal complaints because of fear of reprisal, victimisation or loss of privacy, according to News18 and the Times of India. A board member was also alleged to have been verbally threatened for trying to report some of the cases, the Times of India said. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### What systems does Hockey India already have on paper? Hockey India’s website lists an Internal Complaint Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment, an Ethics Committee, a disciplinary committee for athletes, members and officials, and grievance redressal bodies. The committees page says the current committee structure is effective from March 31, 2026. Hockey India also maintains a disciplinary-action page on its website, though the publicly listed entries visible in the current crawl relate to anti-doping cases and a disciplinary communication dated June 3, 2024. (news18.com) The current controversy has centered on whether those formal structures were matched by timely action in harassment cases. ### What is the board expected to decide? Tirkey’s proposed agenda includes reviewing all ongoing and reported cases, strengthening compliance with India’s POSH Act, improving reporting mechanisms, protecting complainants and whistleblowers, and fixing accountability for individuals or bodies found negligent or complicit. (hockeyindia.org) Those points were described in reports by News18 and the Times of India. (hockeyindia.org) The executive board meeting had not been publicly dated in the reports reviewed, but Tirkey asked Hockey India’s director general to convene it in accordance with the federation’s rules. The outcome of that meeting is expected to determine whether the federation moves from internal inquiries and removals to longer-term sanctions, including possible lifetime bans. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (news18.com)