Integrity in sport update: Cameroonian authorities meet to discuss match-fixing allegations

In this week's edition of the media recap we have reports of match-fixing scandals that have rocked Cameroon's football league and resulted in the Professional Football League of Cameroon calling for an emergency meeting with all stakeholders to investigate these claims. The "No to match-fixing" campaign was recently launched by the National Union of footballers of Cameroon (Synafoc) aimed at protecting the integrity of football and raise awareness of match manipulation.

On the topic of good practice , the integrity body for the regulated sports betting industry, ESSA and England Hockey, the national governing body for hockey in England, have entered into an agreement prior to the Unibet EuroHockey Championships that will see the two bodies working closely on integrity issues. Their aim is to protect hockey events, bookmakers and consumers from any corrupt activities linked to betting as well as to educate the players and officials to ensure integrity in the sport.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION

Cameroon

Match fixing scandals have rocked Cameroon's Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 prompting the holding of an emergency meeting this Friday in Yaounde. The Professional Football League of Cameroon (LFPC) headquartered in Yaounde, the nation's capital has summoned members of the National Union of footballers of Cameroon (Synafoc), referees and club managers including Peter Kwemo, the founding president of the Union for the Advancement of Sports in Loum,all involved in corruption allegations. Today's meeting is expected to examine match fixing complaints recorded during the AS Etoa Meki versus Racing encounter, counting for the 31th day of Ligue 2), Botafogo opposing UMS of Loum hosted on the 29th day of Ligue 1 and Panther against UMS Loum staged on the 30th day of Ligue 1. Cameroon Concord has been told evidence of corruption and attempted corruption are hanging over these games. A senior football official who spoke to Cameroon Concord late yesterday but sued for anonymity observed that "Joseph Owona and his Francophone acolytes are destroying the beautiful game in Cameroon." In the game AS Etoa-Meki and Racing which ended (1-2) played on Tuesday in the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde, the referee Olle Paul reportedly received one million CFA from Pierre Chesneau Kwemo. On August 13, Synafoc launched a "No to match-fixing" campaign that is aim at protecting the integrity of football while raising awareness about the dangers of manipulating matches and above all, to protect and train footballers including other members of the football family on how to identify, resist and report any attempted manipulation before and during a game. The SYNAFOC initiative has received the blessings of Fifpro, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, FIFA and Interpol- the international police.

Source: Sama Ernest, "FECAFOOT to meet today in Yaounde over numerous match fixing scandals ", 21 August 2015, Cameroon Concord, https://cameroon-concord.com/news/sports-and-games/item/3852-fecafoot-to-meet-today-in-yaounde-over-numerous-match-fixing-scandals

India

Cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan may have been given a clean chit by a Delhi court in relation to 2013 Indian Premier League match fixing, but latest news report show intercepts by the Delhi Police regarding their involvement. New Delhi: Cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan may have been given a clean chit by a Delhi court in relation to 2013 Indian Premier League match fixing, but latest news report show intercepts by the Delhi Police regarding their involvement. According to a report in the CNN IBN, Delhi Police intercepts have strengthened the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to refuse to lift the ban on these cricketers. The news channel claimed that they were in possession of several tapes of conversations between the cricketers and bookies — and even broadcast a conversation between Chandila an alleged bookie. The tapes apparently revealed that all of these three cricketers were in touch with bookies during the IPL in 2013. Meanwhile, Sreesanth fixed a performance during a Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab match in May that year. It was also claimed that Chavan fixed a deal worth Rs 60 lakhs with bookies. The Delhi Police have decided to file an appeal in the high court against the lower court's order discharging all the 36 accused in the case.

Source: "Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan conspired with bookies according to Delhi Police intercepts: Report", 20 August 2015, Zee News India, https://zeenews.india.com/sports/cricket/sreesanth-chandila-chavan-conspired-with-bookies-according-to-delhi-police-intercepts-report_1649839.html

Wednesday, 26 August 2015