Browsing: accused

Cricket

Indian minister accused of victim blaming after Australian cricketers’ assault

An Indian minister’s comment that two female Australian cricketers, who were “touched inappropriately” last week, should’ve informed authorities before leaving their hotel has sparked a row with many accusing him of victim blaming.

The incident occurred in Indore in Madhya Pradesh state on Thursday as the players were walking to a cafe. Police said the man who harassed them has been arrested.

India’s cricket board condemned the incident, which has sparked an outpouring of anger globally.

But Kailash Vijayvargiya, a state minister, raked up a controversy by saying this was “a lesson for authorities as well as the players” who should have informed the security or administration before going out.

Street harassment of women in India is rampant, but Thursday’s incident made headlines as it involved international players visiting the country for a high-profile tournament, the Women’s World Cup.

Cricket Australia said in a statement that the players “were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist” the morning after Australia had beaten England.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was quick to condemn the harassment, calling it “a deeply regrettable and isolated incident”. It also vowed to “review the existing safety protocols and strengthen them, if necessary, to ensure such incidents are not repeated”.

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar demanded swift punishment for the man who harassed the players. “You lock him up and throw the keys away. That’s the only way such criminals should be treated,” he told India Today TV channel.

But Vijayvargiya, who looks after urban development and housing and parliamentary affairs in the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, seemed to put some of the onus on the players themselves to ensure they remained safe.

“Whenever a player steps out, just like when we step out, we tell a local. The players will also realise that in the future, if we step out, then we should tell the security or local administration,” Vijayvargiya told reporters on Sunday.

He went on to add that players should be cautious while stepping out since they have a huge fan following.

“There’s a craze for cricket here, like there is for football in England. I have seen football players having their clothes torn… So sometimes players don’t realise their own popularity. Players are very popular, so they must take care whenever they step out.”

Vijayvargiya’s comments have made headlines in India where many have accused him of victim blaming and the minister has been called out for his statements by opposition politicians, media and many citizens.

Opposition Congress party leader Arun Yadav called his statements “disgusting and regressive” while singer Chinmayi Sripaada accused him of victim blaming.

“BJP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya basically says here that women visiting another city/country must be worried/concerned/think about their own safety when stepping out without telling anyone. So basically it was the women’s fault,” she wrote on X.

Another user wrote that “at a time when India’s image has already taken a hit due to this shameful incident, such victim-blaming comments from a public representative only deepen the embarrassment”.

“Instead of defending the city’s dignity and condemning the culprits, the minister chose to lecture the victims, a response both tone-deaf and unbecoming of his office.”

Vijayvargiya later described the incident as “shameful”and said strict action had been taken, but added that the players should have informed their security officer before going out.

This is not the first time Vijayvargiya has made news for statements that have been construed by many as being offensive to women.

A few months back, he had made headlines for saying he didn’t like women wearing short or revealing clothes and that in the past, he’d refused to take photographs with them.

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Update On Case Against Former WWE Star Accused Of Attempted Exploitation Of Minor

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There has been a new update on a case against a former WWE star who has been accused of attempted exploitation of a minor.

Former WWE star Mike Droese was a popular name in the 1990s when he performed in the company under the moniker Duke ‘The Dumpster’ Droese. The star was a popular figure and was literally a wrestling garbage man. The star joined the promotion in 1994 and left in 1996.

Former WWE Star Mike Droese Was Accused Of Attempted Se*ual Exploitation Of A Minor

Droese is facing some serious charges and has been accused of Attempted Aggravated Se*ual Exploitation of a Minor. It is a Class D felony in Tennessee. However, it has now come to light that his court hearing for the matter has been postponed. The scheduled hearing in Warren County, Tennessee, has been rescheduled for January next year.

The former WWE star allegedly tried to purchase child se*ual assault material last year from the Dark Web in April, but could not succeed and was immediately flagged. The star could end up in jail for two to four years because of the nature of his crime.

Mike Droese was previously charged with selling banned substances to an undercover agent while being a teacher. The former WWE star ultimately had to resign from his teaching job and serve 30 days of a three-year sentence.

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WWE Accused of Abusing One-Sided Contracts Amid Andrade Non-Compete Drama

Andradeâ€s AEW return may have lit a spark, but WWE was quick to pour cold water on it—and now the real heat is coming from someone whoâ€s been watching it all unfold with a critical eye.

Stevie Richards didnâ€t hold back during a recent episode of The Stevie Richards Show, where he slammed WWEâ€s controversial use of one-year non-compete clauses, especially in Andradeâ€s case. According to Richards, WWE is manipulating its power and contract language to keep talent from gaining traction elsewhere—even if it means keeping them sidelined without a paycheck.

“A one-year no-compete, though, man, thatâ€s beyond the pale, especially when we still argue to this day — are they independent contractors or are they employees? Theyâ€re independent contractors when itâ€s convenient for WWE; theyâ€re employees when itâ€s even more convenient for WWE. WWE wants to abuse this clause whenever they want to, especially with Andrade.â€

Richards believes WWEâ€s “just cause†clause is way too vague and easily exploitable. He pointed out that even something as minor as disagreeing with a storyline could be twisted into grounds for punishment.

“What constitutes just cause? What if somebody refuses to do a storyline thatâ€s against their morals or character? WWE could call that insubordination and use it to ban them for a year. Can this be manipulated by the company? Oh, absolutely.â€

He also likened WWEâ€s strategy to the NFLâ€s morality clause but argued that WWE takes it even further by silencing and freezing talent under the guise of policy.

“Everybody manipulates this type of morality clause in the NFL. If you send out a tweet or anything happens that they donâ€t like, they can suspend you or ban you. This makes the professional wrestling contract, somehow — and I didnâ€t think it was possible — even more one-sided in favor of the promoter and not the talent.â€

According to Richards, itâ€s not just about wrestling. WWEâ€s grip could even stop Andrade from branching into MMA or Hollywood, thanks to the intentionally vague contract language.

“If Andrade even wanted to do MMA, heâ€s not allowed to do that. It encompasses anything combat sport or even entertainment… Say you wanted to be an action star — isnâ€t that considered a mix between entertainment and combat sports?â€

Andrade reportedly has legal representation on standby, and thereâ€s speculation that WWEâ€s non-compete clause could be challenged in court, especially if theyâ€re withholding pay. If the clause is ruled unenforceable under U.S. labor law, it could blow a massive hole in WWEâ€s contract model.

Richards closed by calling out what he sees as a blatant abuse of power meant to weaken stars†momentum before they can benefit another promotion.

“Itâ€s obviously set up so that in three months, in the wrestling universe, you lose a lot of steam. So, they do not want you going to a competing promotion… that actually, in itself, shows they want to protect the competition from capitalizing on any steam, push, or momentum that a talent had in WWE.â€

This isnâ€t just about Andrade—itâ€s about the entire power dynamic between WWE and its talent. Wrestlers are increasingly expected to live with zero leverage while WWE maintains all the control.

This could be the legal battle that opens the door for change—or just another example of how deep WWEâ€s grip on its performers really runs.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

Do you think WWEâ€s contract system is due for a complete overhaul? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Athletics

Vicente Modahl: Ex-Olympic athletics coach accused of child sex offences appears in court

Former British Olympic athletics coach Jose Vicente Leiva-Modahl has appeared in court after being accused of child sex offences.

Leiva-Modahl, 65 – who was previously married to former Olympic middle-distance runner Diane Modahl – is facing 19 separate charges including sexual assault of a child, rape and controlling and coercive behaviour.

Leiva-Modahl, who is also known as Vicente Modahl, appeared from custody at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for a 15-minute hearing in which no pleas were indicated.

District judge Richard Jepson sent the case to Manchester Crown Court, telling Leiva-Modahl that some of the allegations were too serious to be dealt with at the magistrates’ court.

Leiva-Modahl was granted conditional bail ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on 18 November.

Among his bail conditions were to reside at an address in the Warrington area, to abide by an electronic monitoring curfew from 21:00 to 07:00 and not to contact witnesses in the case.

He was also ordered to surrender his Spanish passport and not to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Leiva-Modahl has been suspended by governing body UK Athletics, the court also heard.

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African footballâ€s general secretary accused of creating toxic culture of fear | Soccer

The Confederation of African Footballâ€s general secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba, has been accused of running the organisation as his “proprietorship†and creating a toxic culture of fear where employees are fired for speaking out against him.

Several former and current members of staff have told the Guardian there is an atmosphere of intimidation and paranoia at the Caf headquarters in Cairo, where Mosengo-Omba is accused of sidelining colleagues and silencing whistleblowers.

Those sacked include Hannan Nur – the former head of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) – who accused Mosengo-Omba in a damning report last year of “impeding†members of her department from performing their duties and, among other claims, of breaching internal governance and auditing regulations. It was later claimed by Cafâ€s audit and compliance committee that there had been unauthorised interference from Mosengo-Omba in an attempt to “whitewash†the subsequent investigation.

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“Anyone who dares to speak up – anyone who is part of the report – is terminated, without cause, without any due process,†said one senior employee who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. “We live in an organisation that deliberately hides the truth so as not to embarrass the secretary general and his entourage. Everything is political now.â€

Abiola Ijasanmi, the former Caf chief operating officer, was dismissed in April after making allegations similar to Nurâ€sagainst the general secretary in another report. Noumandiez Doué, the head of refereeing, and Raúl Chipenda, the director of development, were sacked in August.

“We have clear instructions to control information and prevent certain things from leaking out; thatâ€s how it is,†said one communications officer who did not want to be named. “When the two reports started to leak, they hunted down the mole – that was their concern rather than sorting out the issues.â€

Employees claim the independent committees are no longer independent, with key decisions “manipulated†or “influenced†by Mosengo-Ombaâ€s office. “Véron and some other directors are running Caf as their own proprietorship,†a former senior staff member said. “What is even more sad is the fact that the committees do not function. The independent committees are not independent. Theyâ€re influenced. Véron always tries to manipulate the decision and heâ€s always influencing them.â€

Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, is a longstanding friend of Véron Mosengo-Omba. Photograph: Chris Tanouye/Fifa/Getty Images

Others allege that staff linked to Mosengo-Omba can now make decisions outside their departments, breaching Caf statutes and internal procedures. Multiple sources also accused Mosengo-Omba, a longstanding friend and former university colleague of the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, of favouritism and abuse of office, claiming he has appointed associates and compatriots from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to senior positions for which they were not qualified.

“He abuses his office to have people from his home country and people he knows in positions that theyâ€re not qualified for,†another senior staff member said.
“Caf is no longer pursuing a policy of development, but rather serving individual interests.â€

The allegations echo claims made in the GRCâ€s report last year that was submitted to Cafâ€s executive committee this year, which described a “stressful, unethical and unprofessional environment†under Mosengo-Ombaâ€s leadership.

At the Caf general congress last week in the DRC, it announced profits of $9.48m for the 2023-24 financial year, which it said “reflects a strong increase in commercial revenues, driven by the growing global appeal of African football, the addition of new sponsors, and the implementation of strict financial controls by the Caf leadershipâ€. But sources have alleged that Cafâ€s finances are fragile despite public claims of stability.

“The audit and compliance committee tried to raise the issue, but [Mosengo-Ombaâ€s] modus operandi is to silence you or youâ€re out,†one insider said.

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The alleged misuse of Fifa Forward funds – development money intended for African football projects – remains a particular concern. Staff claim that Mosengo-Omba has taken “sole control†of the funds, leading to irregularities that have not been independently audited.

Staff have also alleged that president Patrice Motsepe, who was re-elected unopposed for a second term in March, has rarely set foot in the Caf headquarters. “Motsepe is never here,†one senior employee said. “In four years of his mandate, he only came twice and met the staff once. He doesnâ€t have a clue whatâ€s going on inside his own confederation.â€

Mosengo-Omba is widely regarded as the de facto head of Caf, consolidating power over day-to-day operations, even though the most senior position is held by Motsepe. Mosengo-Omba turns 66 this month, the statutory retirement age under Cafâ€s regulations, but has indicated he will remain in post and relocate to Morocco for the menâ€s Africa Cup of Nations that starts in December. “He should not continue working beyond the 15th of October,†said one official.

Nur has filed a case for wrongful dismissal at the Cairo Regional Centre for International Arbitration that is expected to be heard in the coming months.

Caf did not respond to detailed questions about the allegations. Mosengo-Omba has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to the allegations made in the GRC report, insisting he has “acted with full integrity†and that “independent investigations will expose the falsity†of the claims.

Motsepe has expressed “total confidence†in Mosengo-Omba and said Caf was awaiting the findings of an independent inquiry set up this year to look into the GRC reportâ€s allegations. However, for many within the organisation, the damage to morale and credibility is done.

“I feel very sorry for Caf and African football,†one long-serving employee said. “We are no longer pursuing development, only protecting peopleâ€s personal power.â€

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Tennis

New program supports players accused of doping, match-fixing

Tennis players involved in doping or match-fixing investigations are now eligible for free legal help, confidential counseling or money to test products they have taken that might have led to a positive drug test, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Wednesday.

The trial program begins immediately and will be reviewed after next year.

A player can receive up to $5,000 for a lab accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency to check a medicine or supplement for contamination or the same amount for help identifying possible sources of contaminated meat — a frequent explanation for failed doping tests in sports.

Sport Resolutions, an independent dispute resolution service that runs tribunals for anti-doping cases in tennis, is extending its free legal support in such cases to when a player first tests positive for a banned substance. Until now, this service was available only after a player was charged.

And Sporting Chance, an organization that works with athletes on their mental health, will provide six sessions of well-being support for people being investigated for anti-corruption or anti-doping violations.

“We recognize the process can come at both a financial and emotional cost,” ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said.

“No player picks up a tennis racket as a child with any motivation other than playing the game,” she added. “Individuals find themselves in these situations for a lot of reasons, and so no matter what those reasons are, and where the case ends up, they also deserve someone to talk to.”

The ITIA was involved in two particularly high-profile doping cases in tennis that began last year and ultimately resulted short bans for players who have been ranked No. 1 and won multiple Grand Slam titles, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.

Sinner reached a deal with WADA to accept a three-month suspension that ended in April after that group appealed an exoneration from the ITIA based on what it determined was an accidental contamination by an anabolic steroid.

Swiatek agreed to a one-month ban that was partly served during last offseason after she tested positive from what she said was a contaminated non-prescription medication.

Some tennis players, notably 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, have been critical of the way cases were handled, saying there was a sense of favoritism toward the sport’s biggest stars.

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John Cena Accused Of Killing Top WWE Faction’s Momentum: “Kind Of Fell Apart”

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John Cena was recently accused of killing a top WWE faction’s momentum.

Back on the June 7, 2010 episode of RAW, John Cena was attacked by The Nexus to kickstart their feud. The Cenation Leader even became an unwilling member of the villainous faction after losing to its’ leader, Wade Barrett, at that year’s Hell in a Cell on October 3rd.

However, the Nexus suffered a momentum-halting loss at SummerSlam against Team WWE (Cena, Bret Hart, John Morrison, R-Truth, Edge, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan). Many felt it wasn’t the right decision, with Edge and Jericho revealing that The Nexus was supposed to win to position themselves as legitimate threats. In the end, Cena’s refusal to lose by changing the match finish crippled what could’ve been a massive push for the faction.

During an interview with TMZ’s Inside the Ring, former Nexus member David Otunga agreed with the vast majority of the general public that they should’ve won at SummerSlam. He also recalled his group being informed that Cena changed the ending a few hours before the event.

I think collectively, people agreed, like, we should have won at SummerSlam. Thatâ€s an infamous story. We were supposed to win at SummerSlam all day until about an hour or two before showtime. The finish was changed, and we knew who changed it, and they told us who changed it. It was John Cena,” Otunga shared.

The 45-year-old former WWE Superstar also remembered getting support and endorsement from Edge and Jericho, who wanted them to win, but Cena’s plan still went through.

We disagreed with it. And with the ending, we should have won, but Cena went over, and it completely cut the legs out from under us, and after that, Nexus kind of fell apart,” he added. [H/T WrestlingNewsCo]

John Cena Insisted on Losing To Brock Lesnar At WrestlePalooza

A decade ago, John Cena insisted on winning against The Nexus at SummerSlam, and it didn’t sit well with fans. 15 years later, he insisted on losing to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza, and the public is still puzzled by the match results, which was a squash.

However, it was made clear that The Cenation Leader was on his way out and just wanted to put over people, thus the decision was made.

Cena’s next match will be at Crown Jewel in Perth, Western Australia, against AJ Styles on October 11th. The upcoming premium live event is one of the five advertised appearances remaining for The Last Real Champion as his retirement is inching closer.

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