A group of youth football players in Fiji says they were assaulted by national coach Christophe Gamel at a training camp last month.
Nine players from Ba, Lautoka and Rewa were informed on 16 January they had failed a drug test at an Under 23 training camp and would be suspended from football for one month.
Fiji football coach Christophe Gamel. Photo: Fiji FA
Amena Bola said Christophe Gamel called the players into a room individually to inform them of the results.
"The thing that I felt important is when he started touching us, when he slapped us," he said.
"He started calling us one by one into his room and from there he started talking and he touched us one by one, he slapped us."
Kini Madigi said he felt embarrassed and sad following the incident.
"When he came in the room he told us to move our chair closer to him and then slap us on the face...no one at home even slapped me on the face or even our coach in Ba, no one has ever slapped me in the face."
The 19-year-old said other senior coaching staff, including Fiji women's boss Marika Rodu, were present during the alleged assault but did not intervene.
"After I got slapped and then he hit on me, Gamel told me if (women's head coach Marika) Rodu would have slapped me on the face I would have flied down the wall...they didn't do anything."
Fiji women's football coach Marika Rodu. Photo: Avikash Chand / OFC Media
Simione Nabenu said Gamel was also angry at him for making himself unavailable for last year's Oceania Under 19 Championships in Vanuatu.
"As I was pulling the chair he stood up and slapped my head...after that he said this is why you don't want to represent the country because I didn't go to the last Under 20 qualifiers," recalled Nabenu.
"He was angry because I wasn't with him for the Under 20 qualifiers. I was not there. I was supposed to go with them but I did not want to go because of my studies."
Fiji's Simione Nabenu goes up against Samoa's Sefa Mamea-Hind during the OFC U-17 Championship in 2017. Photo: OFC via Phototek
The 18-year-old said he will refuse to play for the national team as long as Gamel remains in charge.
"Honestly I can't do that, I just can't...better to stick with my district. If he calls me again for another national duty then I will say no I can't."
The Ba Football Association lodged a formal complaint with the Fiji Football Association the day after the alleged incidents, in mid-January.
Kini Madigi said the players were initially reluctant to come forward.
"We were just afraid to speak up because he might suspend us. Because around the time he was slapping us we wanted to do something but we don't want to do because football is the only thing there for us so we couldn't do anything we just let it go," he said.
Madigi and Nabenu said they reported the incidents to the Ba Police Station but declined to press formal charges.
"We went and put a report in and then we just told the Police to just give a warning to Gamel," Madigi said.
"They said do you want to charge him or warn and I said I would just warn him," recalled Nabenu.
Fiji Football President Rajesh Patel said the nine players were immediately suspended after testing positive for drugs, which is a requirement under Fiji FA and FIFA policy.
He says the Ba Association requested their players not be sanctioned until an investigation into assault claims were resolved.
"The Ba football, what they have done and given is the players were tested for drugs and everything and they were positive and so they are trying to hide behind the drug policy and they are trying to avoid this drug thing, so that is what it is."
Fiji Football President and OFC Vice President Rajesh Patel presents the OFC Champions League trophy to Team Wellington's Justin Gulley. Photo: OFC via Phototek
Rajesh Patel said Christophe Gamel has already been interviewed as part of their investigation and has denied assaulting or abusing any players.
Unless new information comes to light he said Fiji FA is satisfied there was no improper conduct.
He said individual players are currently being interviewed by the national body and he expected the investigation would be completed some time next week.
"Three players that came down (on Thursday) and we listened to their side of the story and everything," he said.
"There's one player that hasn't given it so we will get that player's statement and everything and then we will compile it and if there is merits to it it will be given to the (Fiji Football) ethics committee and if not the matter will be closed."
Christophe Gamel at a press conference following Fiji's FIFA World Cup Qualifier against New Zealand in 2017. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Members of the Fiji women's team have also made claims to local media they were verbally abused and threatened by Christophe Gamel.
Fiji Football said they have not looked into the allegations made by female players because none have yet to make a formal complaint.
The Fiji women's team finished runners up at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup. Photo: Avikash Chand / OFC Media
