NEW DELHI // India's women's hockey team coach said he had resigned yesterday to clear his name after a player accused him and some of his staff of sexually harassing her. The departure of MK Kaushik is a blow to India's prospects at next month's World Cup in Argentina because he was seen as instrumental to raising the team's level of performance. Kaushik's resignation came on the day Hockey India (HI) said it was setting up a panel to investigate the allegation brought by one player against the coach and other support staff.
"I am innocent and her allegations are baseless. She did it out of frustration after she was dropped from the side," Kaushik told reporters. "I have submitted my resignation to [the] HI president because the incident damaged my image." Vidya Stokes, the HI president, told reporters an assistant coach will take charge of the team for the Asian Champions Trophy in Busan, South Korea, this month. Kaushik, a member of India's 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal-winning men's hockey team, met HI officials yesterday where he tendered his resignation.
* Agencies
