KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Malaysian shuttlers might be suspended for life if they are found to be involved in match-fixing and other related issues, after the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) implements the new rules.
BAM council member, Jadadish Chandra said that the Rules and Disciplinary Committee would organize a meeting very soon to formalise the rules to address the match-fixing and other related issues at the national level.
He noted that rules are very important in order to curb the activities which could affect the sport in future.
“I have submitted my preliminary report to the BAM council and they have accepted the report. We will have new rules regarding the matter. We can’t wait until the incident happens again and we find out that we don’t have the rules.
“The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has the rules at the international level. We are going to propose this rule at the national level because this game has become big. And the match-fixing activities may happen anytime… if not this year, maybe in two or three years,” he told reporters after the BAM’s council meeting at the Malaysian Badminton Academy, Bukit Kiara today.
Chandra said that if the incident happened in near future, shuttlers would undergo the normal judicial process such as given the right to have a legal representative and attend the hearing process.
“Various punishments are available depending on the degree of the offence. We can likewise ban them for life,” he added.
Malaysia’s badminton was rocked by match-fixing scandal which involved two independent players who had been temporarily suspended from playing Badminton by the BWF.
The players had attended a BWF hearing session in Singapore over the course of Monday and Tuesday following their suspension over match fixing.
There are six charges against them and one of the offences took place at the Korean Grand Prix.
The three-member disciplinary panel expected to conclude their findings after the hearing and they would then forward their judgement to the BWF.
If found guilty, the duo are set to be banned for life — the first such decision by the world badminton body.
Meanwhile, Chandra who was the BAM’s representative at the hearing in Singapore said the decision to bar him from the session on the second day was against the BWF constitution.
“I was there as the BAM’s representative, so they have no right to bar me from the session. It was mentioned in the Article 13.8.2.6 of the constitution.
“The incident had happened and this is BWF’s first case. It would be a learning process for them,” he added. — Bernama
