Hockey India official Gurinder Singh Sangha sent home after harassment complaints

Indian umpires manager Gurinder Singh Sangha was sent home from Nagoya during the 2026 Asian Games on October 2, 2026, after complaints of misbehaviour and harassment, tournament sources said. The development came as the Indian women’s hockey team beat China to win the Asian Games for only the second time and the first since 1982.

Tournament officials declined to comment publicly, but sources confirmed a formal complaint was lodged by one of the umpires officiating at the competition here. Organisers also received a separate complaint from hotel staff alleging Sangha showed them immoral videos and threatened to make a police complaint, which prompted action by tournament authorities.

“Yes Sangha has been sent back, he’s already gone home. There were complaints of him repeatedly harassing some foreign officials officiating here,” a senior official confirmed on conditions of anonymity.

Sangha is a physical education instructor at a government school in Jalandhar and has faced allegations before. During last year’s Hockey India League, a woman umpire officially complained to Hockey India about Sangha’s behaviour and physical harassment in Ranchi, and Hockey India formed a three-member committee on the directions of secretary general Bholanath Singh, the report said.

“Yes there was a complaint and Sangha was removed from HIL at that time. The report was submitted to Bholanath Singh. HI should not have sent him to such a prestigious assignment given the past instance,” Asunta agreed.

The umpire who filed the earlier complaint has since quit the profession and shifted base abroad, according to the account of past proceedings. Tournament organisers have not released further public details about any follow-up measures.

Sangha was removed from his duties at the Games and has returned home, while officials remained tight-lipped about the matter and did not provide additional information to the media.