Fiji FA Mum On Gamel Probe
"It is understood the Under-23 players, who spoke on-the-record to the Fiji SUN, confirmed the incident to Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel and the Board of Control last month in an interview in Ba."
Friday 22 March 2019 | 10:00
Three of the five Under-23 players who claim they were assaulted by national football coach Christophe Gamel, from left: Simione Nabenu, Kalaveti Sivoi and Kini Madigi.
The Fiji Football Association has not responded to Fiji SUN’s queries on the outcome of investigations into allegations national coach Christophe Gamel assaulted and bullied youth and women footballers last year and in early 2019.
It is understood the Under-23 players, who spoke on-the-record to the Fiji SUN, confirmed the incident to Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel and the Board of Control last month in an interview in Ba.
The Fiji National Sports Commission executive chairman Peter Mazey had also written to Fiji FA for a response when the allegations were first made public.Mazey has not responded to Fiji SUN’s queries asking about FFA’s response.
The Fiji SUN reported testimonies from five U23 players on January 26 that Gamel allegedly assaulted them at Ba’s Sahu Khan Academy after they allegedly tested positive for drugs in a national U23 camp.
Youth players Amena Bola, Kini Madigi, Kalaveti Sivoi, Sekove Finau and Simione Nabenu alleged the coach called them one-by-one inside a room where he slapped and swore at them.
Sivoi’s mother, Siteri Tinaitamana, said her son complained to her about the incident and has vowed not to send him to the national team until Gamel is sacked.
It is not clear if Fiji FA called external witnesses or only interviewed the players involved.
Fiji FA refused to suspend Gamel while conducting internal investigations.This despite calls from leading figures like football commentator Raymond Stoddart, human and women’s rights advocates Shamima Ali and Roshika Deo and award-winning Slovenian FIFA coach Ivo von Sajh-Scheich to do so.
There were also calls for an independent investigation given the serious nature of the allegations, which FFA rejected.
Three national women footballers, who spoke off-the-record, also claimed Gamel mocked them for their looks then demanded the coach be sacked.
It is claimed that the coach allegedly called national women’s team goalkeeper Ateca Tuwai “pathetic” and “not good enough” at half-time during Fiji’s OFC Women’s Nations Cup semi-final against Papua New Guinea last year.
The female players spoke off-the-record for fear of being victimised.
They say Gamel allegedly told them to grow their hair because keeping it short made them look like men and lesbians
Patel has said FFA will not investigate the claims made by the female players because they did not lodge official complaints.
The parents of one female player alleged the French coach entered their house without permission last year and threatened to slap their daughter if she did not attend training.
Sunil Rao and Tokasa Vua, the parents of Sonali Rao, allege that national women’s coach Marika Rodu was also present during the alleged incident.
-Edited by Leone Cabenatabua
Feedback: sheldon.chanel@fijisun.com.fj
