BAM TO INTRODUCE TOUGH LAW

Life ban for shuttlers guilty of match-fixing

PLAYERS found guilty of manipulating matches in the local circuit could be banned for life. A law will be introduced by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) which will give the national body the power to take stern action on local players involved in match-fixing.

BAM rules, disciplinary and integrity committee member Jadadish Chandra said: “The new law will be tabled soon for BAM’s executive committee to deliberate and approve.

“The law will cover all aspects in handling match-fixing cases. It will be similar to Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) rules and regulations on match-fixing,” he said after the BAM council meeting in Bukit Kiara on Saturday.

The badminton fraternity were rocked recently when two Malaysian professional shuttlers were provisionally suspended by BWF for match-fixing.

Both have got six charges of matchfixing in tournaments between 20132016 against them, after a report was lodged to BWF by a non-Malaysian shuttler in 2016.

BWF then appointed a three-man independent panel, which held a two-day hearing in Singapore last Monday and Tuesday.

The world governing body have so far not officially named the two players called up for the hearing.

Former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli and 2010 Thomas Cup player Tan Chun Seang were seen attending the hearing at a hotel in Singapore.

BWF are expected to make an official statement on the verdict of the hearing within the next three weeks.

Jadadish also said BWF broke their rules when they barred him from attending the second day of hearing in Singapore.

“I was there not as an observer but a BAM representative, so BWF had no right to bar me as stated clearly in Article 13.8.2.6 of the BWF constitution,” Jadadish added.