National archery coach sent to jail for 5 years after being convicted in POCSO case

Sonipat: A fast-track court in Haryana’s Sonipat has sentenced national archery coach Kuldeep Vedwan to five years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case involving a junior athlete. The court also imposed a fine of ₹15,000 on the coach.

The judgment was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Narendra Singh after the accused was found guilty earlier this month. The case relates to an alleged incident that took place during Youth Archery Championship trials held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Sonipat in April 2023.

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Allegations Linked To Junior Athlete During Trials

According to the prosecution, the victim, a junior archer from Jammu and Kashmir, had travelled to Sonipat for the championship trials. She later alleged that the coach entered her hotel room during the stay and behaved inappropriately with her.

The complaint stated that the athlete managed to leave the room after the alleged incident and later informed her family about what had happened. The family subsequently approached authorities connected to the sports programme before filing a police complaint.

Investigators also claimed that the coach allegedly attempted to persuade the athlete not to disclose the matter and apologised after the incident came to light.

Coach Known For Work In Indian Archery

Kuldeep Vedwan is known in Indian archery circles for coaching young and para-athletes. A former national-level archer and ex-Army personnel, he later established coaching academies in multiple states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry.

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The case has once again drawn attention to athlete safety and the need for stronger protection mechanisms within Indian sports institutions.

Growing Concerns Over Safety In Sports

The verdict has sparked wider conversations around safeguarding young athletes, especially minors training away from home for national-level competitions. Sports bodies and administrators continue to face increasing pressure to strengthen monitoring systems, grievance mechanisms and accountability within coaching environments.