AIFF official accused of assault; Anurag Thakur orders 'strong legal action'

New Delhi: Two female football players have claimed that they were assaulted physically during the current Indian Women's League tournament in Goa by an All India Football Federation (AIFF) member. Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, has instructed the AIFF to take strong legal action against the accused, who is a member of the organization's executive committee, in response to the accusations.

“The Ministry of Sports has taken a serious note of an alleged physical assault upon women footballers by an official during the ongoing Indian Women's League in Goa. All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been directed to take quick action and ensure the safety and security of our footballers. The ministry has further directed AIFF to take strong legal action and inform the ministry about actions taken. The safety and security of players are our utmost priority," wrote Union Minister Anurag Thakur on X on Saturday, The New Indian Express reported.

Serious accusations were made against Deepak Sharma, a member of the executive committee of the AIFF, which is the body that oversees football in India, by two female players from Khad FC, a Himachal Pradesh-based club. The players claim that during the Indian Women's League 2 that is presently taking place in Goa, Sharma assaulted them in a hotel room. The footballers reported that the attack happened on Thursday at a hotel room in Goa in a complaint they filed with the AIFF on Friday. NDTV reported on this incident.

The football players said that while they were travelling from Himachal Pradesh to Goa, Sharma had drunk alcohol in their presence and was inebriated at the time of the event.