Volunteer assaulted at Delhi meet by international athlete

In a shocking incident, a volunteer who was helping the officials to run the Delhi State Athletics Championships was assaulted outside the East Vinod Nagar Stadium.

Shivam Yadav, who was assigned as a volunteer with the sample-collecting officials of the National Anti-Doping Agency during the meet, was allegedly beaten up outside the stadium on Sunday by a few athletes, including international U-20 medallist Aman Chaudhary.

The assault, it is being said, happened because Aman and his friends got angry with Shivam as they thought he was telling the NADA officials to target them for testing. An athlete named Bhram Dev, who finished the 200m men’s final in seventh place, ran away from the stadium yesterday as he thought he was being called in for testing. At the time, he was walking with the gold medallist Sonu, whom the NADA wanted to call for his sample. Bhram ran away thinking he was being called in. Both Aman and Bhram train together under Rahul Pawar.

“They were waiting outside for me when I went out to buy fruits. They hit me on my face, my shoulder hurts badly. One of them forcefully made me sit on the bike. I somehow ran away after forcing the bike to fall," Shivam told the Tribune.

Shivam’s mother has now formally filed a police complaint. In the evening, he was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital for a full check-up. “They have not confirmed whether he has suffered a muscle injury or a fracture. All they have confirmed is that he has a shoulder injury. We have been referred to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital for an ultrasound. Once that is out we will know the exact nature of the injury," she said.

The police visited the grounds in the afternoon after the matter was reported and had done an initial inquiry.

Interestingly, Aman’s coach Rahul had told this correspondent that none of his trainees were involved in the incident. However, sources who were involved in assisting the police stated that Aman, after denying his part in the assault, has said he was there when the attack happened.

Meanwhile, the Delhi athletics association has formed a three-member committee to probe the incident. Stadium administrator Shiv Lochan Prasad, Delhi State Athletics Association’s (DSSA) executive member Sunita Rai and DSSA technical head Amarjit Dahiya have already started their probe. They are to send a detailed report to the state body soon and based on that the disciplinary proceedings will follow in the case.

DSSA secretary Parth Goswami condemned the incident. “Such conduct is unsportsmanlike and cannot be tolerated. Delhi athletics has immediately set up a three-member committee to inquire about the incident," he said.

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