Soccer authorities vowed to excise the “cancer” of match-fixing, but yesterday said tougher laws were needed worldwide to protect the bruised integrity of the world’s most popular sport.
FIFA director of security Ralk Mutschke told a two-day gathering with Interpol that the world governing body’s “zero tolerance” for match-fixing needs to be helped by “the right policies for law enforcement and the football community.”
The meeting comes following revelations two weeks ago that almost 700 matches worldwide, including Champions League ties and World Cup qualifiers, were targeted by gambling gangs.
“We are banning players and referees for life, but criminals are out there free — they get no sentence. That’s wrong,” he told reporters when asked to comment on Singapore’s refusal to arrest a key suspect wanted in Italy suspected of rigging games.
“We have to bring in governments to change legislation and laws. Many countries do not have laws to fight match manipulation,” Mutschke said.
He pointed to the acquittal in November last year of three players in Switzerland accused of committing fraud by throwing games, where a judge said there was no obvious victim.
Mutschke said FIFA was cooperating with the Council of Europe to draft legislation to fight match-fixing.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
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Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
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