Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, June 13

Two sailing clubs affiliated with the Yachting Association of India (YAI) had objected to sending Lt Cdr Farokh Tarapore (retd), who has been accused of mental harassment, as the 470 class coach with the team for the training-cum-competition stint in Europe. Tarapore was accused of mental harassment by a female sailor during the Europe trip.

The Army Yachting Node (AYN) and the National Sailing School (NSS), Bhopal, were the two clubs not in favour of naming Tarapore as the coach.

The Commanding Officer of AYN, Colonel NS Johal, had written two letters to YAI. “Our apprehensions regarding conduct of the coach were based on his demonstrated behaviour towards No 2 Team in India,” Johal wrote in his letter in May.

In a previous letter written in March, Johal said that the AYN team would be neglected during the Europe training stint. “…I have no confidence in Lt Cdr F Tarapore (Retd) being appointed as Coach for both the teams as I am certain of his utter disregard for the potential of AYN Team and neglect which they will suffer during the event,” he wrote.

Interestingly, Ravi Kumar Gupta, ADG, director of sports and youth welfare at Bhopal, writing on behalf of NSS, too had raised similar objections to Tarapore’s continuation as coach. Gupta had detailed a similar treatment of another girl sailor, from the centre. “…We therefore do not support him to be the Coach of the 470 team at all. Coach Igor Marenic our team coach is already booked to accompany the team. We would like you to kindly accept our request in this regard,” he wrote.

However, YAI ignored these objections and recommended Tarapore’s continuance as the coach….