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          Indian football: National team players react to Alex Ambrose arrest warrant in sexual misconduct case

          Adam Aidil/AFC
          • ESPN staffFeb 11, 2023, 07:26 AM

          India's football team captain Ashalata Devi and goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan were the first senior national team players to react to the news of the arrest warrant for Alex Ambrose, the former assistant coach of the India women's Under-17 team who was sacked for sexual misconduct last July.

          In their tweets today, within hours of the news emerging that a Delhi Court had issued the warrant, they called for strong action against Ambrose and said there was no place for any kind of harassment in football.

          The warrant was issued on Friday under Section 70 of the CrPC, according to the court website. It said the accused had been summoned by the court (Sec 16) and was given a notice for breach of bond (Sec 446).

          "Good to see legal action being taken. I hope strong action is taken and a precedent is set for the future," Aditi wrote. "Strong action should be taken against Alex Ambrose, so young girls feel they are safe and protected," wrote Ashalata.

          Ambrose is facing charges of sexual misconduct under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The warrant for his arrest was issued by a Delhi court on Friday; the case itself dates back to last July when he was sent back from a training tour in Norway. There was to be an inquiry by the All India Football Federation but there had been no updates from the organisation since.

          These comments by the players stand out since there has been a near blanket silence over the allegations and subsequent action against Ambrose. The only confirmation of the incident was a reaction by SY Quraishi, the head of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators managing the AIFF back in July. Neither the new AIFF administration elected after the FIFA ban in August nor the Indian coach and the team at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in October have spoken directly about the accused.

          Quraishi had confirmed to ESPN that criminal proceedings against Ambrose had begun. The Dwarka Police Station had later confirmed to ESPN at the time that a case had been filed there. Ambrose had denied any wrongdoing and sent a legal notice to the All India Football Federation for "tarnishing his reputation by levelling frivolous charges".