Malaysia probes charge its players tanked India match

Unnamed Malaysian hockey players have been accused by their own governing body of fixing a match against India in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh last month.

The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) has lodged a police complaint after Malay Mail published a report that several players had placed online bets on Malaysia losing the last round-robin game against India on May 17. India won the match 2-1 on their way to the final of the tournament where they lost to Argentina. Since October 2003, India have played Malaysia ten times, winning seven matches and drawing one.

The Malay Mail report has also been taken note of by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The Indians have strongly denied any involvement of their players in the alleged match fixing episode. Mohammad Aslam, convenor of the Indian Olympic Association ad-hoc committee running Indian hockey, said it was Malaysia’s internal matter.

“As far as we are concerned, neither our players nor our officials are involved. Our boys won the game playing good hockey. The allegations are against the Malaysian players and their federation has ordered a probe,” Aslam told The Indian Express from Hyderabad where India is preparing for the Asia Cup junior hockey tournament.

Indian coach A K Bansal said he felt the Malaysians had “played their hearts out” in the match. “From what I recall, the body language of the Malaysian players didn’t indicate that they were playing to lose the match. We dominated the proceedings and were leading 2-0 before conceding a late penalty-corner goal when the match was almost over,” Bansal said.

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Hockey cries help Experts say may be this is the ‘shock therapy' we needed

BEATEN 2-0 by Britain in the final of the qualifiers at Santiago, India has failed to make the cut for the Beijing Games - the first time in 80 years when the eight-time gold medallist will not be at the Olympics.

As a heartbroken and furious hockey fraternity called for the ouster of Indian Hockey Federation president K P S Gill, some even demanding dissolution of the governing body, quite a few said they were not surprised they had seen this coming. The failure to make it to the Olympics, they said, was probably the shock therapy Indian hockey needed to start afresh and work its way up the ladder.

In Chandigarh, former captain and Olympian Balbir Singh Senior said the team's exit should serve as a wake-up call for people who love the sport

"I am shocked, most hurt as I have had a long association with hockey. Today, I feel as I have lost a close relative," Singh said. He said it was a day to ponder, not just for those associated with the game or its top brass, but the government, media and the public as well. "It will be easy to criticise two or three people, but that will not lead us to any solution. We have to rectify the system as a whole," he said.

Dhanraj Pillay, who cried himself to sleep after Carvalho's men failed to beat Britain for the second time in a week, said: "Whatever you say is not enough. This is the worst day for Indian hockey. I've been crying myself hoarse for a while now. The IHF never tried to take the help of players like me who played for the country so long."

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