AAP demands appointment of new swimming coach after molestation charge against previous coach

The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa on Thursday demanded the immediate appointment of a new swimming coach for women and girl swimmers, blaming the state sports ministry for delaying the process, a week after the state's sacked chief swimming coach Surajit Ganguly was arrested in a molestation scandal.

"Why is the state government dragging its feet over the appointment of a new coach? Swimmers are suffering because of a lack of a coach now," AAP Goa General Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar told a press conference in Panaji.

On September 8, Goa Police arrested Ganguly, after a 15-year-old national swimming champion accused him of molesting her. The police action against the swimming coach came after a video of the coach molesting the victim surfaced online and went viral.

President of the Goa Swimming Association, as well as the Swimming Federation of Goa Digambar Kamat, said that he has already spoken to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the appointment of a female coach to replace Ganguly who has since been sacked by the state sports association and banned by the federation.

"The appointment will happen in a few days," Kamat said.