Badminton World Federation (BWF) can announce the outcomes of two integrity cases in badminton.
The hearings for both cases concluded in late 2020, and the reasoned decisions of the BWF Independent Hearing Panel (IHP) have been communicated to the parties.
Both cases involved whistleblowers who reported information to the BWF about corrupt behaviour including approaches to fix a match or to manipulate part of their match for money.
Case 1
Eight Indonesian players who knew each other, and competed in lower-level international competitions mostly in Asia up until 2019, breached BWF Integrity Regulations related to match fixing, match manipulation and/or betting on badminton.
A report by a whistleblower allowed the BWF Integrity Unit to start an investigation and to interview a number of players regarding the matter. All eight players were provisionally suspended in January 2020 until a determination could be made through a hearing process.
Three of them were found to have coordinated and organised others into being complicit in the behaviour and have been suspended from all badminton related activities for life. Five others were suspended for between six to 12 years and fined between US$3,000 and US$12,000 each.
As per the Judicial Procedures, the athletes have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of the notice of the reasoned decision.
Click here for the reasoned decision.
Case 2
A Malaysian citizen who is a representative of an equipment brand that sponsors international badminton players has also been suspended from all badminton-related activity for life.
The BWF Integrity Unit had been investigating the individual for a number of years.
The IHP found that the individual had approached international badminton athletes and offered money to manipulate matches, bet on multiple badminton matches including matches involving players that were sponsored by the individuals’ employer and had “abused his position of influence as an executive in a sporting brand in an attempt to corrupt international badminton and enrich himself”.
Due to the nature of the breaches and this person’s access to and influence over players his company sponsored, the IHP suspended the individual from badminton-related activities for life.
As per the Judicial Procedures, the individual has the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of the notice of the reasoned decision.
Click here for the reasoned decision.
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