Goa police finally got custody of swimming coach Surajit Ganguly, who has been booked for rape of a minor. The men in uniform got a six-day remand and the due process of law is expected to take its own course. However, the arrest of the coach is no reason for Goa athletes to cheer, because nothing is going to change if there is no move to fine-tune systems.
The arrest will help the police to build up a strong case and nail the culprit. If proven guilty the coach will be sentenced to jail, but with a dismal rape conviction rate of Goa police, there is every possibility Surajit could walk free too. The coach is known to be a very influential figure and till now the police, apart from tracking him in New Delhi, has not shown any urgency on the job. Even days after the arrest, they had not established any contact with the victim girl or her parents to record their statements which are very crucial to the case.
It’s going to be a long drawn legal battle from hereon and the outcome of the case, by the time it is finally decided, may have very little bearing on our sport. Yes, there needs to be intervention of law, but instead of focusing our energies on the outcome, authorities should go about the job of fixing the sexual abuse of young athletes. This case can only be an eye-opener for Sports Authority of Goa and the Sports Minister to put water-tight systems in place.
Goa’s sport has to move on and likewise the athletes. State athletes are struggling to compete at the national level and this episode could have a huge impact on those choosing sports careers. The confidence of female athletes and parents has hit a low and the onus lies on the government in taking confidence-building measures to do damage-control. Ironically, nothing has moved since the shameful incident and there is no sense of urgency to take stock of existing systems. A steady silence prevails even as athletes and parents are hoping for a change and till now there is no official word from Sports Minister Babu Ajgaonkar or the SAG.
The bigger question here is whether government can provide a secure environment to female athletes. Surprisingly, the SAG has no policy in place to recruit female coaches in any discipline. This has to change immediately. The molestation of the swimmer should prompt the government to tweak laws and recruit female support staff at different levels on an immediate basis. Lack of trained female coaches cannot be an excuse to make it a male bastion. There need to be lady counselors in every discipline where athletes can look to resolve their personal issues. Specific training areas need to be under CCTV surveillance. A lot needs to change and the time to begin is now.
