Match-fixing slur for hockey competition in Asian Games

Doha, Dec 12 (UNI) The menace of match-fixing reared its ugly head to tarnish the 15th Asian Games with Malaysia claiming that Pakistan, Japan and Hong Kong played got-up matches in their group A hockey assignments.

Incensed after they were ousted on goal difference, Malaysia coach Wallace Tan and team manager Nur Azmi Ahmad said they would lodge a complaint with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) on the suspect matches involving Pakistan, Japan and Hong Kong.

Pakistan played out a goalless draw in their final Group A match on Sunday to knock out Malaysia, bronze medallists in the previous Games.

Pakistan scored 20 goals in their four matches and conceded only two to top the group, while Japan scored 18, conceded three to go through ahead of Malaysia who only scored 13 and conceded four.

''Everybody saw the match between Pakistan and Japan. When they played against us, Japan created many short corner opportunities, which showed they were attacking. The same was for Pakistan. So, we have to change this attitude, otherwise it is like match-fixing is allowed,'' an irate Nur Azmi was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.

Not sparing Hong Kong either, the team manager alleged, ''Hong Kong too fielded their reserve goalkeeper against Pakistan and they conceded 10 goals.

''We must do something to change this. Teams like these should be playing us earlier. And this is not just our view. We spoke to the team managers of India and China who were with us watching the Pakistan-Japan game. They told me that I might as well go home, because they could see that the match was already fixed,'' he explained.

''What matters is the way the game is played. Japan and Pakistan were simply not playing their match. You must respect the game and play it,'' said Wallace.

''In football, when you get money to fix matches, you're banned.

But what if you fix matches so that you benefit from it. We spend two years preparing at a cost of millions of ringgit. So, if this sort of behaviour is accepted, they have to tell us.

''At least, if we know that the Asian Hockey Federation and the International Hockey Federation condone this sort of behaviour, we know what to do. Maybe we can start fixing matches as well. Just like we were fixed by Pakistan, Japan and Hong Kong,'' he added.

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