The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has taken serious action against one of its members, Deepak Sharma, by suspending him until further notice due to alleged physical assault of two women players in Goa. This decision was made two days after the AIFF initially refrained from taking action against Sharma. The incident occurred when two footballers from the Himachal Pradesh-based Khad FC team participating in the Indian Women’s Football League accused Sharma, who owns the club, of barging into their room and physically assaulting them on March 28. Following the incident, Sharma was arrested by the Goa police and later released on bail.
The AIFF Executive Committee made the decision to suspend Deepak Sharma from all football-related activities until further notice. Prior to this decision, the Emergency Committee of the AIFF, consisting of president Kalyan Chaubey, vice-president N A Haris, and treasurer Kipa Ajay, reviewed the complaints against Sharma. The matter was discussed with AIFF member associations, and Sharma was asked to leave the meeting after being heard for a few minutes.
In response to the incident, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur urged the AIFF to take swift and strong legal action against Sharma. The AIFF also disbanded the three-member committee formed to investigate the incident and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee for further action.
President Kalyan Chaubey emphasized the AIFF’s commitment to promoting women’s football in a safe environment and stated that the case would be addressed by the Disciplinary Committee urgently. He highlighted the growth of women’s football in India, with over 27,000 registered women players, and expressed plans to introduce promotion and relegation in the Indian Women’s League in the future.
Chaubey also mentioned India’s recent success in women’s football, including their runners-up finish in the Turkish Women’s Cup and victories over European opponents. The AIFF assured support for the complainants and emphasized its dedication to the development and protection of women’s football in the country.
