08 January,2010 08:43 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
When a sportsman falls from grace, it comes like a punch in the gut, knocking the air out of you and leaving you reeling on the ropes. Sports is the final frontier in a cynical, unfair world. Sports-fans idolise stars and watch sports, because naively and idealistically they still believe that sports espouses old-fashioned values like hard work, dedication and rewards for sweat and blood.
Uplifting slogans often trite like, 'No pain, no gain', 'faster, higher, stronger' and makes one think that those who are involved in sports at the highest levels are above human failings. This is not true.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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The Ruchika Girhotra case has sparked to life right now, with molestation charges against former Director General of Police (DGP) S P S Rathore. What is particularly painful is that Rathore was also the founder of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association (HLTA). He has been accused of molesting Ruchika in the HLTA office after sending her friend away to call a coach.u00a0
It is shocking that incidents like these are dismissed as merely 'touches' or 'mistakes' Rathore's case reminds us of former hockey chief Kanwar Pal Singh Gill.u00a0 In the year 1996, Gill was convicted for sexual harassment for bottom patting a lady Indian Adminstrative Service (IAS) officer at a party. His police credentials notwithstanding, he was former DGP Punjab, it is shameful that a top sports administrator like Gill has a sexual molestation record.
The latest molestation incident involves football club Churchill Bros, whose players. Nigerians Odafe Okolie (25) and Ogba Kalu (20), and goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya (20) are in trouble for molesting an air hostess on a SpiceJet flight.
The Nigerian players are making ridiculous noises about being targeted in a foreign country while a Churchill official claims it is a, 'publicity stunt'. What publicity? It is disgusting that officials are defending these players.
In just a couple of days, the sports-fans have seen the ugly face of 'sports' unlike what they would like to believe. Those who live by sports are just like others with their evils, their failings and their frailties.
There is also an effort to trivialise such allegations. It is shocking that incidents like these are dismissed as merely 'touches' or 'mistakes'.
This is sexual molestation, plain and simple. Most importantly, the victims affected are not making a mountain out of a molehill or should that read Churchill?
