I-League clubs report approaches to fix matches
22 Jan 2014 6:42 AM IST
The clubs reported approaches at last week’s FIFA-INTERPOL ‘Integrity in Sport Workshop’ in New Delhi, and All India Football Federation (AIFF) vice president Subrata Dutta called it a genuine concern.
‘Of course it is (a concern). Otherwise why would FIFA send INTERPOL here and spend so much money to educate us on how to tackle match-fixing, betting and other corruption?’ Dutta said in a telephone interview.
‘When FIFA is taking it so seriously, certainly it’s a matter of concern and AIFF would look into it seriously.
‘I have proposed the AIFF should have an anti-corruption unit headed by an integrity officer. The executive committee will discuss and decide on it.
‘All clubs have been told to recognise, resist and report such approaches,’ he added without elaborating how many clubs were approached.
Early last year, Mumbai FC vice president Atul Bagdamia took a call from a Malaysian, promising the Indian club an all-expenses-paid trip to his homeland to play friendlies there. Subsequently came the suggestion to fix I-League matches.
‘When I got the hint, I said I’m not interested. I just put down the phone. I don’t even remember the name of the person. He was a Malaysian,’ Bagdamia said. Asked why he did not immediately report it to the AIFF, he said ‘I had refused the offer. I felt the matter ended there. ‘They (AIFF) have now told us that they are going to appoint an integrity officer in the (anti-corruption) unit. That person has to be contacted for this sort of things in future.
EPL side West Bromwich Albion looking for Indian sponsors
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NEW DELHI: English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are in talks with some leading Indian companies after their current sponsor decided to pull the plug in the wake of striker Nicolas Anelka’s controversial racism-linked goal celebration in an EPL match. Albion, a mid-table EPL side, will have to find a new sponsor after London-based property company ‘Zoopla’ decided not to renew their two-year 3 million pound sponsorship deal which runs till the end of current season over Anelka’s ‘quenelle’ gesture which some say is an inverted Nazi salute and has anti-Semitic connotations. Albion Sales and Marketing Director Adrian Wright said at the sidelines of an event here that he would meet some top corporates in the country for a possible deal for the main sponsor of the club. ‘We are going to meet some top corporate houses in India which have shown interest in becoming a sponsor. It’s in a preliminary stage but if an Indian company becomes our sponsor it would be a great development for us. We are going to meet them before we fly out in Saturday,’ Wright said.
‘Of course it is (a concern). Otherwise why would FIFA send INTERPOL here and spend so much money to educate us on how to tackle match-fixing, betting and other corruption?’ Dutta said in a telephone interview.
‘When FIFA is taking it so seriously, certainly it’s a matter of concern and AIFF would look into it seriously.
‘I have proposed the AIFF should have an anti-corruption unit headed by an integrity officer. The executive committee will discuss and decide on it.
‘All clubs have been told to recognise, resist and report such approaches,’ he added without elaborating how many clubs were approached.
Early last year, Mumbai FC vice president Atul Bagdamia took a call from a Malaysian, promising the Indian club an all-expenses-paid trip to his homeland to play friendlies there. Subsequently came the suggestion to fix I-League matches.
‘When I got the hint, I said I’m not interested. I just put down the phone. I don’t even remember the name of the person. He was a Malaysian,’ Bagdamia said. Asked why he did not immediately report it to the AIFF, he said ‘I had refused the offer. I felt the matter ended there. ‘They (AIFF) have now told us that they are going to appoint an integrity officer in the (anti-corruption) unit. That person has to be contacted for this sort of things in future.
EPL side West Bromwich Albion looking for Indian sponsors
-
NEW DELHI: English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are in talks with some leading Indian companies after their current sponsor decided to pull the plug in the wake of striker Nicolas Anelka’s controversial racism-linked goal celebration in an EPL match. Albion, a mid-table EPL side, will have to find a new sponsor after London-based property company ‘Zoopla’ decided not to renew their two-year 3 million pound sponsorship deal which runs till the end of current season over Anelka’s ‘quenelle’ gesture which some say is an inverted Nazi salute and has anti-Semitic connotations. Albion Sales and Marketing Director Adrian Wright said at the sidelines of an event here that he would meet some top corporates in the country for a possible deal for the main sponsor of the club. ‘We are going to meet some top corporate houses in India which have shown interest in becoming a sponsor. It’s in a preliminary stage but if an Indian company becomes our sponsor it would be a great development for us. We are going to meet them before we fly out in Saturday,’ Wright said.
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