Female Footballers Accuse AIFF Executive of Physical Assault: Complaint Lodged with Competitions Committee

Two female footballers from the Indian Women’s League 2 club Khad FC have filed a complaint with the AIFF’s competitions committee regarding an alleged physical assault by Deepak Sharma, an executive committee member of the All India Football Federation. Sharma, also serving as the general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association and deputy chairman of AIFF’s competitions committee, is accused of the assault, which reportedly took place on Thursday.

According to the complaint, the players were in their rooms after dinner, boiling eggs, when Deepak Sharma entered and physically assaulted them, including slapping them. The incident was reported by TOI.

The players further alleged that Sharma was consistently intoxicated during their time together, including when Khad FC travelled from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi before the league. They claimed he was drinking alcohol in front of them.

Expressing concern for their safety, officials from the Goa Football Association (GFA) visited the team hotel. The team manager, Nandita Sharma, provided a written assurance guaranteeing the safety of the players, stating, “I take full responsibility for the girls and will ensure they are safely escorted to their homes. There will be no issues.”

The AIFF women’s football committee chairperson responded to the complaint, stating, “I have just seen the complaint copy and am rushing to see the team at the hotel. Such things cannot be tolerated. The AIFF will deal with this accordingly.”

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