MMA Athlete Breaks Down in Court, Accuses Sports Federation President of Sexual Harassment

Strategic Insights -

In a heart-wrenching testimony in the Bombay High Court, a mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete recounted a distressing tale of repeated sexual harassment by the president of her sports federation. The athlete, who wished to remain anonymous, broke down in tears while narrating the details of the alleged harassment, which included being subjected to explicit messages on Instagram and WhatsApp. The court observed that the messages were "inundated with sexual innuendos" and that the athlete was threatened with not being allowed to participate in any sports events if she refused to respond to the president's messages.

Key Takeaways:

  • The MMA athlete alleged that she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment by the president of her sports federation, including explicit messages on Instagram and WhatsApp.
  • The athlete claimed that she was threatened with not being allowed to participate in any sports events if she refused to respond to the president's messages.
  • The court observed that the messages exchanged between the president and the athlete were "inundated with sexual innuendos".
  • The athlete's testimony was corroborated by screenshots of the Instagram messages, which were shown to the court.
  • The court directed the police to record the athlete's statement and stated that if a cognizable offense is made out, an FIR should be registered against the accused and others involved.
  • The court also passed interim directions to ensure that athletes selected by MMAI get a fair chance to participate in the Asian Youth MMA Championship in Bahrain.
  • MMAI's counsel Abhishek Upadhyay stated that the president would step down from his post, which was accepted as an undertaking to the court.

Statistics:

  • The Asian Youth MMA Championship in Bahrain is scheduled to take place from June 25-28.
  • The court accepted a statement by MMASFI's advocate Aadil Parsurampuria that it would consider selecting five athletes from MMAI and bearing all their expenses, including late fees.
  • The athlete alleged that she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment by the president of her sports federation, which included explicit messages on Instagram and WhatsApp.

Sources:

  • Bombay High Court order dated June 18, 2025
  • Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd., 2025
  • Contify.com, distributed by Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd., 2025