Former hockey administrator Bikash Bhattacharjee was suspended for life by the Silchar District Sports Association (DSA) for sexual harassment of a female hockey player. Now, the Assam Hockey Association has also severed all ties with the outcast Hockey coach. The Secretary of the Assam Hockey Association, Tapan Das, also said that all the allegations regarding the selection of players of the state senior women’s team were baseless and there is no truth to it.
The allegations against the suspended coach Bikash was that he would give that particular player a chance in the state team if she agreed to his sexual proposition. A local senior female hockey player had also lodged a written complaint to the DSA regarding this allegation. There were also allegations that Bikash gave an immoral offer of giving a chance to a woman bearing the surname of ‘Nath’ in the state team. And that some officials of the Assam Hockey Association were aware of the incident. However, Tapan Das denied the allegation and said that the players in the state team have been selected solely based on the criteria of talent and performance only.
The Secretary of the Assam Hockey Association further said that there is a selection committee to form the state team. Only that committee gets to select the players to make a squad. Those who perform well get a chance in the squad. In this process, not even the administration can interfere. However, Tapan Das has also admitted that such deplorable conduct by the hockey coach is a shameful episode not just for the district hockey but for the entire state Hockey as well.
It is noteworthy to mention that the exiled hockey coach Bikash used to be the Joint President of the Assam Hockey Association. A few of the top officials of the Hockey India and Assam Hockey Association visited Silchar a few months ago. And the suspended Bikash Bhattacharjee also happened to be there accompanying them.
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