Match-fixing: Et tu kabaddi…
Former secretary says Pakistan's kabbadi team has underperformed on purpose and lost matches.
LAHORE:
Former secretary of the Punjab Kabaddi Association (PBKA) Chaudhry Mohammad Ejaz claimed that Pakistan’s kabbadi team has underperformed on purpose and lost matches, including the World Cup final against India.
“I can confirm that Pakistan lost to India 58-24 deliberately in the World Cup earlier this year,” said Ejaz. “On the eve of the final, Pakistan players accepted a hefty amount as well as the runners-up amount of 5.1 million Indian rupees for losing to India in the final. I’m a firm believer that our team can’t lose by a huge margin. We also lost to Iran in the Asian Games which was suspicious as well.”
The World Cup final was played at a jam-packed Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. The winners received a cheque of 10 million Indian rupees whereas Pakistan was awarded 5.1 million Indian rupees as runners-up.
“We have talented players out of which several players have been dropped from the squad only because they do not agree to the federation’s conditions that forced them to stay mum over such activities. Otherwise they will be banned and will never get a chance to represent their country,” said Ejaz before questioning Abbas Butt’s omission an undisclosed reason.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2010.
Former secretary of the Punjab Kabaddi Association (PBKA) Chaudhry Mohammad Ejaz claimed that Pakistan’s kabbadi team has underperformed on purpose and lost matches, including the World Cup final against India.
“I can confirm that Pakistan lost to India 58-24 deliberately in the World Cup earlier this year,” said Ejaz. “On the eve of the final, Pakistan players accepted a hefty amount as well as the runners-up amount of 5.1 million Indian rupees for losing to India in the final. I’m a firm believer that our team can’t lose by a huge margin. We also lost to Iran in the Asian Games which was suspicious as well.”
The World Cup final was played at a jam-packed Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. The winners received a cheque of 10 million Indian rupees whereas Pakistan was awarded 5.1 million Indian rupees as runners-up.
“We have talented players out of which several players have been dropped from the squad only because they do not agree to the federation’s conditions that forced them to stay mum over such activities. Otherwise they will be banned and will never get a chance to represent their country,” said Ejaz before questioning Abbas Butt’s omission an undisclosed reason.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2010.