The Jharkhand government has removed a member of the India U-18 men’s coaching staff on grounds of absenteeism and harassment. The staff member has been identified as Sudhir Golla from the Eklavya Hockey Training Centre in Ranchi and has been removed after an order was issued by the Director, Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, on May 11.

Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh confirmed the decision. "He was laid off two days back," India Today, quoted Singh as saying.

Several Complaints Were Received Against Golla

The order noted that Golla was absent from the training centre for two weeks without informing the authorities. It disrupted training activities. The institution has assigned Karuna Purti, a coach in a government-run school, to replace him. There have been past incidents where Golla behaved inappropriately with girls; several verbal complaints were also received against him, Times of India reported.

Noting these instances, Golla was officially removed from the U-18 boys' camp in Bhopal. “Sudhir Golla, who was part of the Indian sub-junior men’s hockey team’s support staff, has been removed from the coaching camp in Bhopal with immediate effect by HI after it came to the federation’s notice that he had been removed from Eklavya Hockey Centre following complaints from players," Hockey India said.

“Player safeguarding remains a top priority for us, and we remain committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all athletes."

Similar Incidents Reported

This episode marks the fourth instance in such cases linked to Hockey India in just six months. In November 2025, a junior women’s hockey coach was terminated after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced shortly before the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile.

Then, in December, senior women’s team coach Harendra Singh was also removed after players allegedly wrote to the Sports Ministry accusing him of misconduct and questioning his methods.

The most recent case was reported in April 2026, when another Hockey India coach was accused of harassing women officials and coaches.