Sushil Kumar in trouble for 'ill-treatment' of junior athletes in Australia?
What's the story
Star Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar and his father-in-law Satpal Singh are in trouble as videos of numerous young athletes, including several teenage girls, went viral on the internet. The girls were reportedly ill-treated and deprived of food and transportation.
In case you didn't know
Sushil Kumar is the president of the School Games Federation of India and Satpal, a former wrestler, is the chief patron of the SGFI.
The heart of the matter
A junior girls’ hockey team was the first to allege ill-treatment during the event. They alleged that they were deprived of adequate money to purchase food and hire local transport. As a result of their difficulties, the team even missed two matches.
Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has already ordered an inquiry into the matter. However, however, the school games federation has denied these allegations so far.
The SGFI had reportedly charged Rs 2.5 lakh per student from the state government. It is believed that the sports ministry was aware of it as well. However, a number of states, including Maharashtra, refuse to pay as a majority of the competitors were from Delhi.
Since the Pacific School Games was an invitational event, the SGFI requested the state education departments to fund respective students from their states. It is believed that the overall expenditure for the seven-day event was far less compared to the fee charged. The Sushil camp refused to comment on the issue.
What's next?
With Sushil Kumar and Satpal Singh unavailable for comment, it is unknown if the situation will be remedied by them. Fortunately, the Union Sports Minister is making an enquiry into the matter.
Sportskeeda's Take
It is unlikely that Sushil's wrestling career could be affected by the allegations, but it is very likely that he may be forced to step down from his position as president of the School Games Federation, if found guilty of negligence.