Daily Times

Stunning revelations have been made by the BBC and BuzzFeed News about suspected match-fixing in tennis. As per secret files obtained by the media outlets, over the past decade 16 players ranked in the world’s top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches. Tennis is a particularly easy sport to fix since only two players (or four in doubles) are involved and it potentially takes just one to determine the outcome. Documents show the inquiry found betting syndicates in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of pounds betting on matches investigators thought had been fixed. Although the claims have been rejected by the officials of TIU and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), yet they have announced a thorough probe into the scandal. Top tennis players have responded to the news with concern and want the game to be purged of corruption.

It is very unfortunate that another sport is facing accusations of corruption. The games of cricket, football and athletics are already in the grip of scandals. With the latest news about two South African Test players and a Sri Lankan coach being implicated in scandals involving corruption in the game of cricket, it has become obvious that sports has started absorbing negative trends prevailing in society. Greed, commercialism and an urge to make quick bucks have not spared the world of sports. It is not surprising that we are hearing such news because the general phenomenon of indulging in illegal acts by individuals has started taking its toll on the world of sports too. Players are no more immune to the negative effects of a decline in moral standards.

There is a need to nip the monster of corruption in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the bad apples. Those players or officials in all sports against whom charges are proved should be banned for life. It is also a major cause for concern that despite the presence of governing bodies that are tasked with checking corruption, the scandals of match-fixing and players accepting bribes continue to appear that not only dishearten fans but also lead to the downfall of the credibility of sports. The sports bodies have failed to check this trend that shows the problem is deeper and needs concrete steps for its rectification. Instead of treating the corrupt ones with leniency, they should be made a tarnished example for others. *