Malaysian Players Warned Against Match-Fixing |
| Malaysian players and coaches will be watched closely during next week's Thomas Cup and Uber Cup Finals for any signs of match-fixing, the New Straits Times has reported. |
Nadzmi Salleh, president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia, said it was normal practice to check on the national team before and during major tournaments.
However, there is a need to be extra vigilant given the recent match-fixing headlines that have affected other sports in the country.
Last month, Malaysian sport was reeling from a soccer scandal in which six players from Super League side Sarawak were detained by Anti-Corruption Agency officers investigation match-fixing allegations.
There have also been whispers that badminton players have fallen prey to illegal bookmakers seeking to profit from arranged results.
"Yes, we have heard stories about shuttlers fixing matches but this is only hearsay. It's very hard to prove such cases," Nadzmi was quoted as saying.
"We will be monitoring the players in Jakarta to ensure they stay away from this menace. We have been conducting such checks for quite some time now."
The Thomas Cup, from May 11-18 in Jakarta, Indonesia, is the most prestigious team event in international badminton.
In March, Chinese head coach Li Yongbo was reported to have admitted fixing a women's singles semi-final at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, when Zhang Ning defeated compatriot Zhou Mi.
The Chinese coaching team felt Zhang had a better chance than Zhou of winning gold and she duly went on to win the title.
At the Asian Championships in Johor Bahru last month, China's world number one Lin Dan appeared lethargic as he allowed compatriot Chen Jin to win their semi-final and thus confirm his place in the Beijing Olympic draw.
However, badminton officials are more concerned about matches where underhand payments, rather than team orders, cause players to throw matches.
Malaysian players have no history of suspicious actions during major matches and can be expected to give it their best when they take on South Korea and England in Group B of the Thomas Cup.
The women, meanwhile, also have it tough when they face Denmark and New Zealand in their side of the draw.
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