An Indian hockey official’s Asian Games assignment in Nagoya ended before the tournament was over after a complaint was reportedly made against him by a Malaysian woman umpire. Gurinder Singh Sangha, 54, has denied the allegations, saying he was unaware of the complaint until he read about it in the media and describing the accusations as an attempt at “character assassination”.
Sources cited in the report said Sangha was asked to leave Nagoya after the Malaysian umpire accused him of inappropriate touching and non-consensual physical contact, allegedly under the pretext of mentoring her.
The incident has also brought attention to an earlier complaint involving Sangha during the 2024–25 Hockey India League, where an Indian woman umpire had accused him of behaviour she described as unprofessional and disrespectful.
Sangha rejects the latest allegations
Sangha has strongly denied the allegations linked to the Asian Games.
He said he had no interaction with female officials during his stay in Nagoya and explained that his work involved handling the men’s umpire panels. According to him, he had no association with the Malaysian umpire or any other woman official during the tournament.
He also alleged that the latest accusations were connected to a “vendetta” against officials like him. Sangha said the situation reflected what he described as a worsening environment within hockey.
He maintained that he had already intended to end his career after the Asian Games and had informed the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) that this would be his final tournament.
Family reasons cited for early return
Sangha also gave a different explanation for his early departure from Japan.
He said his mother had died a few days earlier and that his wife was dealing with health problems. His return flight had originally been booked for Saturday, but he said he moved it forward by a day because of the situation at home.
Sangha said he had planned to return to India as soon as possible and was considering legal action after reaching Jalandhar.
A separate allegation involving a female hotel staff member has also been reported. According to the information available, the allegation concerns an incident after Sangha allegedly called the staff member to his hotel room. No further details about that complaint have been provided.
Hockey India waiting for detailed report
A senior Hockey India official confirmed that Sangha had been sent back after the Malaysian umpire’s complaint.
The official said Hockey India would consider further action if it receives a detailed report from the Asian Hockey Federation.
Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh, who was in Nagoya, was not available for comment. The Asian Hockey Federation had also not responded to an email seeking its version of the incident at the time of the report.
Earlier complaint in Hockey India League
The latest complaint comes against the backdrop of an earlier incident during the 2024–25 Hockey India League.
An Indian woman umpire had approached Hockey India over Sangha’s alleged conduct at a hotel in Ranchi on January 20, 2025. According to her complaint, the incident occurred in the hotel lobby.
She described the behaviour as unprofessional and disrespectful, and said it had made the situation extremely uncomfortable for her.
Following the complaint, Sangha was removed from his officiating responsibilities during the tournament. Hockey India also constituted a committee to examine the matter. The committee’s findings were not made public.
Despite the earlier complaint, Sangha subsequently officiated at the Men’s Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai.
Sangha’s career in international hockey
Sangha, who is from Jalandhar, has been involved in international hockey officiating for more than two decades.
He became an international hockey umpire in 2003 and was added to the umpire managers’ panel in 2017. At 54, the Asian Games in Nagoya was supposed to be part of the final phase of his long career.
The latest allegations have now interrupted that assignment and triggered renewed attention on the earlier complaint against him.
At this stage, the allegations have not been established as fact. The identity of the Malaysian umpire has not been disclosed in the information available, and the full details of her complaint have not been made public. The Asian Hockey Federation’s detailed response is also awaited.
Sangha has denied wrongdoing and said he would consider taking legal action after returning to Jalandhar.
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