A member of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) executive committee, allegedly physically assaulted two female footballers from the Indian Women’s League 2 (IWL 2) club Khad FC in Goa over a dispute involving boiling eggs.
Palak Verma and Ritika Thakur, the players, reported the incident the following day, expressing fear for their safety. According to the complaint filed with the AIFF, Deepak Sharma, who is also the general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association and deputy chairman of the AIFF’s competitions committee, was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the assault.
“Yesterday (Thursday), as the dinner was over, we went to our rooms to boil eggs. Due to this reason, Deepak Sharma got offended and stormed into our room. He slapped us, assaulted us physically,” the two players wrote in their complaint, supported by three witnesses, according to a Times of India report.
The players claimed that Sharma was frequently inebriated and even carried alcohol during the team’s travels from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi before the league.
The incident came to light the next morning, prompting the match commissioner, Sujesh Rajan, to address the matter with the Goa Football Association for swift action. Additionally, the players accused the team manager, Nandita Sharma, who is reportedly Deepak’s spouse, of defending him. Khad FC, hailing from Himachal Pradesh, competes in IWL 2 in Goa.
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