Mom upset at son’s initiation ‘attack’

hotel beds, had their heads shaved and then were paraded in the hotel foyer.

Rashika Sivnath said junior players were told by seniors to choose hairstyles for initiation, of which parents were told but disapproved.

Sivnath said up to nine seniors stormed the juniors’ rooms and shaved patches of hair off their heads.

“The boys were paraded in the hotel foyer to be made laughing stocks,” she said.

“My husband is a former volleyball player, so we knew about team initiation, which happens among players from the same age group.

“But we never expected adults to do this to children.”

Sivnath has called for the titles of the senior players involved to be revoked.

The KZN men’s team won their section at the competition.

“We just feel an adult shouldn’t have been allowed to invade a child’s personal space, not like that,” she said.

KZN Volleyball president Deva Moodliar said the boys had not been not assaulted, but an inquiry would take place into the incident.

“I am aware of what happened and I have apologised to the parents unreservedly,” said Moodliar.

He said initiations were common practice among provincial teams to build relations.

Moodliar added: “There was no malice intended, it was just to bring the boys together and senior members have gone through initiation previously.”

Volleyball South Africa president Anthony Mokoena is aware of the incident.