Tough new law to deal with corruption in sports

• Prevention of Offences Relating To Sports Bill published in Gazette
• Deals with match-fixing, corruption, illegal manipulation, illegal betting in sports
• Offences to be cognisable and non-bailable
• Guilty could face jail terms up to 10 years and Rs. 100 million fines
• Special investigation unit to be set up to probe allegations

By Chandani Kirinde

The Government will shortly present to Parliament a Bill for the Prevention of Offences Relating To Sports, which deals comprehensively with match-fixing, corruption, illegal manipulation, and illegal betting in sports.

The Bill, published in the Gazette this week, also provides for the appointment of a special unit for the investigation of such offences, and imposes jail sentences from three to ten years and hefty fines, up to Rs. 100 million for some offences, for those found guilty of such illegal activities.

The law will apply to any persons or any person connected to a sport who, directly or indirectly, alone or in conjunction with others, is involved in any arrangement on an irregular alteration of the course or result of any sport or sporting event, for money or any other reward or benefit.

The Bill covers practices such as betting, gambling, inside information relating to a sport, under-performance or withdrawal from a sport or sporting event for non-genuine reasons, etc.

The law will also apply to umpires, match adjudicators, or match referees who deliberately misapply the rules of the sport or sporting event, for money or any other reward or benefit.

Any curator or any member of any venue staff, ground staff or support staff who receives money or any other reward or benefit to prepare any turf, ground or playing surface of any sport or sporting event in a way agreeable to any person including a betting operator or discloses such information; or any person including a retired player or any person connected to a sport who is utilised by any other person to gain access to local or foreign players in order to influence their performance for money or any other reward or benefit commits the offence of match fixing in sports, under the new Bill.

Corruption in sports will including soliciting, enticing, persuading, inducing, or instructing any person, directly or indirectly, to perform or refrain from performing an act, to influence the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of any sport or sporting event.

The Bills also provides for the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports to enter into any agreement or memorandum of understanding with any sports organisation or law enforcement agency, whether national or international, to promote best practices in sports, and maintain and upgrade professional standards of sports, as well as exchange relevant information.