The Sports Authority of India on Monday launched an inquiry against a group of handball players, a day after photographs of them consuming alcohol in their hostel at the regional training centre surfaced on
social media.
Two officers from the SAI Regional Centre, Chandigarh, recorded the players’ statements. One of the officers, Sandhya Kaul, said a decision will be taken into the matter once the report is sent to the head office.
The officials, however, refused to reveal the identity of the players in question.
SAI Ludhiana handball coach Inderjit Singh, who is also officiating in-charge of the Ludhiana centre, said, “One of the players in the photograph had been expelled from the hostel on December 24. Therefore, the pictures attached in the complaint had to have been taken on an earlier date,” he said.
On Sunday, Varinderpal Singh, a judo player and sport promoter, had filed a complaint against the players with senior SAI officials. He had also attached photographs of the players with the complaint.
In his complaint, Singh blamed the staff’s negligence for the incident. “The photographs of young handball players consuming alcohol within the SAI training centre hostel has me worried. The incident has raised questions about the working of the staff at the centre,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}In his complaint, Singh blamed the staff’s negligence for the incident. “The photographs of young handball players consuming alcohol within the SAI training centre hostel has me worried. The incident has raised questions about the working of the staff at the centre,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“While the government is promoting sports and encouraging sportspersons to stay away from drugs and alcohol, training players are consuming alcohol within the hostel. Such activities have an adverse effect on other players too. Therefore, the authorities should investigate the matter and take exemplary action against the defaulters,” he said.