NRAI suspends national coach after minor accuses him of sexual harassment

A dark cloud has descended over Indian shooting, with serious allegations casting a long shadow on the sport’s coaching establishment.

Ankush Bhardwaj, a prominent figure in India’s shooting coaching staff, has been accused of sexually harassing a minor trainee, triggering swift action from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). Acting on the complaint, the federation has suspended Bhardwaj, even as a police case takes its course.

The NRAI confirmed that an FIR has been registered against him in Faridabad. “He has been suspended on moral grounds,” NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia said, underscoring the seriousness with which the federation is treating the matter. A show-cause notice, he added, will follow, and Bhardwaj will remain barred from all coaching activities until the inquiry is completed.

Bhatia noted that Bhardwaj had been recommended by the NRAI and subsequently appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as part of the 37-member coaching team following the Paris Olympics in 2024. The alleged incident, he said, is linked to Surajkund.

According to the FIR filed by the minor shooter, the alleged harassment took place last month after a training session at Delhi’s Karni Singh Shooting Range. The young athlete, who had been training under Bhardwaj since August last year, said the experience left her deeply traumatised. She reportedly confided in her mother on 1 January after persistent questioning finally broke her silence.

The allegations mark a troubling chapter for the sport, further complicated by Bhardwaj’s own chequered past. A former pistol shooter, he had served a doping ban in 2010 for using a beta-blocker during his competitive career.

As investigations unfold, the episode has reignited concerns about athlete safety and accountability within India’s sporting ecosystem, particularly when it comes to the protection of minors entrusted to the care of coaches.

With PTI inputs