Known to be a gentleman among the hockey circles, Kaushik’s fate will be decided when the four-member committee formed by Hockey India submits its report on Friday.
While voices continue to be raised against beleaguered hockey coach MK Kaushik, his coaching staff colleagues and former teammates are in a state of shock over the allegations of sexual harassment by a woman hockey player made against him.
Known to be a gentleman among the hockey circles, Kaushik’s fate will be decided when the four-member committee formed by Hockey India submits its report on Friday.
Kaushik’s close friend and fellow coach Mir Ranjan Negi said this news is ‘really bad for Indian hockey’. “I am absolutely shocked. He is a great person and a very good coach. So to taint his image like this is a shame,” Negi said.
Negi, who was the goalkeepers’ coach under Kaushik for the 1998 Asian Games, added: “I cannot recall even if he had drinks while on tour. In fact, he called me from Canada recently and I expressed my desire to voluntarily help goalkeepers and we were going to discuss about it. I can’t understand how this has come up suddenly,” Negi said.
Olympian MM Somaya was equally baffled. “I have known Kaushik for 30 years as a person and coach. Suddenly, if 31 girls make allegations, I don’t know what to make of the case. Maybe the coach was strict with them or maybe the selection has hurt some people, I don’t know. It looks like someone who is aggrieved is behind this, maybe an official. But it is unlikely from a man like Kaushik,” he said.
Joaquim Carvalho, former India coach and someone who knows Kaushik since his playing days, said the episode is unfortunate for Indian hockey. “He was a gentleman in his playing days and has never come across someone who will do such things. I think he is the kind of the guy who would never indulge in these things. If he is really involved, it is a shame, if he is not then it is worse because his image is tarnished. I don’t know how much to trust these reports,” Carvalho said.
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