Indian hockey coach AK Bansal says his team won the match fairlyPUNE: The World Hockey Federation has expressed satisfaction over the measures taken by the Malaysian Federation on reported match-fixing during the Azlan Shah tournament this year. “We are aware of the allegation, but we cannot comment much on this now.
The investigation is in process,” said Arjen Meijer, a spokesperson for the International Hockey Federation, while talking to DNA from Lausanne in Switzerland. He then hastened to add: “The FIH is happy with the measures. Things should be sorted out soon,” he said.
Hashim Mohammad Yusof, the secretary of the MHF, could not be reached for comment but he told an agency the matter has been handed over to the police. “We have referred the case to the police. We do not know if it is true,” Yusof was quoted as saying by an agency report. “We cannot comment until the police give us approval.”
The MHF lodged the complaint on June 20 after a local paper published a report claiming that several Malaysian players had fixed the match against India. Incidentally neither team has qualified for the Beijing Olympics
Meanwhile, India coach AK Bansal rubbished reports saying India won the game fairly. “I am surprised by the allegations. It’s unfortunate that India was playing that match,” said Bansal talking to DNA from Hyderabad where the Junior India camp is on for next month’s Junior Asia Cup.
“When we played Malaysia, they had already lost three games and it was expected we would win,” Bansal said. “It was a well-contested match and I never felt then that some of their players were underperforming.”
