The footballing community in India has begun reacting to the news of sexual abuse within the national Under-17 women's team, which led to assistant coach Alex Ambrose being sacked and criminal proceedings being initiated.
National team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said the incident was a reminder that more needed to be done for women's football in India. "Sexual misdemeanours should have no place in society, let alone football," he tweeted on Tuesday.
"Let's put some genuine thought and effort to see how we can better the environment for our girls and boys, through the ranks. This needs to be done, and soon."
While things surrounding the incident take their course, it is our responsibility to make sure that we protect everyone involved with our sport we love so much.
- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) July 5, 2022
Sandhu's Bengaluru FC teammate Suresh Wangjam, who was part of India's Under-17 team at the 2017 Fifa World Cup, called for a thorough investigation of the "disturbing" incident. "How will parents allow their daughters to pursue football professionally when there is no system for their safety," he asked.
How will parents allow their daughters to pursue football professionally when there is no system for their safety? We should do more.
- Suresh Wangjam (@SureshWangjam) July 5, 2022
The strongest comments came from former professional Darren Caldeira, who said the news left him "shook" and "feeling rather sick".
"I spent the week gathering my thoughts, speaking to more than a few people," he tweeted. He said he hoped the victim was getting "all the help and support to deal with what she has been through." "Our women have been doing us so proud on the football pitch, and it is our duty to ensure that this space is safe for them."
I really hope the girl is getting all the help and support to deal with what she has been through. Our women have been doing us so proud on the football pitch, and it is our duty to ensure that this space is safe for them. (3/4)
- Darren Caldeira (@darrencaldeira) July 5, 2022
The incident first came to last Thursday - it was then described by the AIFF as "an event of misconduct"; the specifics of the case - including the nature of the offence and Ambrose's name - were revealed 48 hours later in a tweet by SY Quraishi, the head of the court-appointed Committee of Administrators. He also said then that Ambrose had been sacked for the offence.
It was Quraishi who on Tuesday told ESPN that criminal proceedings have started in the case.
The case attracts the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and therefore has be far-reaching legal implications for the various parties involved - including the federation and other staff members present during the tour when the alleged incident took place.