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Lovlina Borgohain accuses BFI official of sexist remarks: Told shut up, lower my head

Lovlina Borgohain accuses BFI official of sexist remarks: Told shut up, lower my head

India Today6 days ago
Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain has accused a senior Boxing Federation of India (BFI) official of gender-discriminatory and demeaning behaviour during a Zoom meeting on July 8 under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).According to a report by The Times of India, Lovlina submitted a formal two-page complaint to Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, SAI Director-General Hari Ranjan Rao, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), TOPS officials, and BFI. She claimed that Col (Retd) Arun Malik, executive director of BFI and interim committee member, humiliated her after she requested that Pranamika Boro be allowed to join her as personal coach for a training stint in Europe.advertisement'TOLD TO SHUT UP AND LOWER YOUR HEAD'Lovlina wrote, 'What happened during the official meeting on July 8 left me deeply hurt and disheartened. Mr Arun Malik raised his voice at me, spoke in an aggressively demeaning tone, and blatantly told me to 'shut up, lower your head and do as we say.'' She added that his behaviour reflected a tone of 'gender-discriminatory and authoritarian dominance.'
'In a space where I expected professionalism, support and mutual respect, I was made to feel small, unheard, and powerless,' she said. 'It was not just a personal insult — it was an attack on every woman athlete who dreams of standing tall, both in and outside the ring.'BFI OFFICIAL DENIES ALLEGATIONSCol Malik has firmly denied all allegations. In a statement, he said the meeting was 'thoroughly professional' and that officials from SAI and TOPS were present. 'The same recording is with the respective officials for review,' he added.'Lovlina is the pride of the nation, and we at BFI take immense pride in her achievements. Matters raised by her were addressed in accordance with BFI's policies, which apply uniformly to all athletes,' Malik said.INQUIRY PANEL SET UP, FINDINGS AWAITEDThe IOA has formed a three-member inquiry committee comprising TOPS CEO Nachhatar Singh Johal, Olympian Sharath Kamal, and a female legal expert. Although the panel was supposed to submit its report within two weeks, no update has been made public.Meanwhile, SAI's TEAMS division under Ritu Pathik is also conducting an independent investigation.- EndsMust Watch
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