AFC says there is sharp decline in match-fixing in Asia
>> NEW DELHI: Asia has seen a sharp decline in match-fixing over the last six years, the Asian Football Confederation and its integrity partner said, though illicit gambling has grown thanks partly to the use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method.
Swiss-based Sportradar has been a key ally in the AFC’s fight against corruption since 2013 and the tie-up will run through to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China after being renewed last month.
Match-fixing is driven by illegal gambling, a market which Transparency International estimated in 2018 was worth some US$400 billion in Asia.
“Since 2013, we have witnessed a significant reduction in the number of match-fixing related incidences,” Benoit Pasquier, AFC general counsel and director of legal affairs, told Reuters.
“Sportradar has been pivotal in driving the decrease in overall figures for illicit activity...
“From 2016 we’ve witnessed a decline in match-fixing across Asia by 21% and with our efforts in tandem with Sportradar, the preventive measures we’ve introduced have produced positive results.”
Gambling is technically illegal across large parts of the continent, including the five most populous nations — China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh — and Thailand.
Sportradar organised a workshop about match-fixing for Thai clubs last month.
Pasquier said monitoring integrity across Asia was “deeply challenging” because of the continent’s cultural and sporting diversity.
Low wages were one of the main reasons match-fixing was a significant threat in Asia, said Oscar Brodkin, director of intelligence and investigation services at Sportradar. “Most of Asia sits in the sweet spot of low wages and high coverage and is therefore one of the highest risk areas,” he said. REUTERS