Nagpur: A trip to a national tournament turned chaotic for the Nagpur University (NU) girls’ taekwondo team after they were forced to travel in an overcrowded coach of the Falaknuma Express without confirmed reservations. According to university officials, one of the girls slapped a passenger after being pushed in the crowd, leading to a minor scuffle near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha on Sunday morning.NU sports director Sambhaji Bhosale told TOI that the 12-member team had reservations only up to Bhubaneswar and had to board a crowded coach of the Falaknuma Express to reach Balasore (Baleshwar) for a national-level tournament scheduled from March 16. He said the athletes were frightened during the incident.The team was accompanied by manager Bharati Kanojia and coach Narayan Waghade. The connecting train was packed with devotees travelling for a local festival.“The journey from Bhubaneswar to Balasore takes about two hours, and the train halts for barely five minutes at stations. At one of the stops, a girl standing near the gate felt she was pushed amid the rush, leading to an argument during which she slapped a youth who had asked her to step aside. A few others then gathered, and there was commotion,” Bhosale said.He added that the team’s manager and coach alerted railway authorities. The girl later lodged an FIR with the RPF at the next station. “The girl involved, and the team’s coach visited the railway police station to complete formalities, while the rest of the team reached the venue and completed tournament registration,” Bhosale said.The sports director also questioned the team management’s decision not to arrange a taxi or bus for the onward journey.Vice-chancellor Manali Kshirsagar said the university will take steps to prevent such issues in future. “All the girls reached their destination safely. When the team returns on March 21, we will constitute an inquiry committee and ensure safer travel arrangements, including private transport if required, to avoid risks arising from overcrowded local trains,” Kshirsagar said and added that the team management was asked to hire a private bus for the return journey.Team officials were instructed to keep the families of the girls informed about the players’ safety.
