'Ownership module in state-run T20 leagues need to be examined': ACU chief Ajit Singh

News Network
November 9, 2019

New Delhi: BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) chief Ajit Singh feels there is "a need to examine ownership module" of franchises in state-run T20 leagues to safeguard them from corrupt elements.

The latest is the arrest of two first-class players in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) match-fixing scandal, which, he says, will act as a "deterrent" for mischievous elements.

Former India A and Karnataka wicketkeeper C M Gautam and a small-time first- class player Abrar Qazi, both of whom have been part of IPL teams in the past, were arrested by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police for their role in fixing the KPL final between Bellary Tuskers and Hubli Tigers.

The KPL fixing came to limelight with the arrest of Ali Ashfaq Thara, who owned the Belagavi Panthers team.

"These teams have been bought through open auction and they have not been auctioned by the BCCI but by the state association. I presume whoever was the highest bidder owned the franchises. So now whatever has been the module of owning these franchises need to be examined," ACU chief Ajit Singh told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Asked if police verification of potential owners can be a way out, the former DGP of Rajasthan Police said it is easier said than done.

"There are suggestions about police verifications. Now, police verifications don't always work. Police will only give you a report based on only if there is something criminal on record. If there is nothing on record, police will simply give its report saying there is nothing on record about the concerned person. So that will be the end of it.

"I am sure nobody amongst them (potential state league franchises) would be having a criminal record. Even if somebody has a criminal record, he may have a front-person bidding for a team. That sort of a thing doesn't work," he explained.

For him, a strong personal level interactions, a thorough check of financial records of owners from time to time would be a much better idea.

"You have to have a very strong personal interaction with them and it has to be drilled regularly that there will be zero tolerance for corruption. Also you can examine their financial records before allowing them to bid and even afterwards.

"I am not a finance expert, so somebody belonging to this field will be able to decide doables and non-doables. But some sort of a monitoring is also required there," said the retired IPS officer, who took charge after the 2018 IPL.

However, Singh doesn't endorse the idea of banning the state-run leagues. That's not an ideal solution for him.

"Some people asked me whether these leagues should be banned. My opinion is it's a call that the board has to take. When a person falls ill, you don't kill the person, you try to cure him. We have already been investigating the KPL fixing case and we have been exchanging information with the police. We have been passing on whatever information we have," he informed.

Singh believed that working in co-ordination with the police also helps to nab people with a corrupt mindset like Gautam.

"From this year (2019), we did take all the anti-corruption measures and thus information kept coming out. We worked on the leads and started working on them. Whatever information we get, if we think that the police could develop it better, we pass it on to the police. Because the police has far more authority."

Singh also informed that the strength of ACU has increased with new recruitment last year and they are in the process of hiring more people.

He firmly believed that a law with regards to sports fraud, criminalising any such dishonest acts, could make things easier for everyone.

"There is a law in Indian Penal Code (IPC) and it depends on the circumstances of the case. They can register it as a case of cheating. Now it's for them (Police) to collect evidence of cheating. Obviously there is a party that has been cheated in this case.

"How they go about it and how they collect it, its for them to decide. But as I said there is no specific law regarding sports corruption. Many other countries have that. If that happens, then that's going to make things easier."

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Agencies
January 11,2020

London, Jan 11: Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's famous lap around the Wankhede Stadium after the World Cup 2011 win has been nominated in Laureas's list for the most inspiring sporting event in the last twenty years.

The moment featuring Tendulkar has been described as "Carried on the shoulders by a nation".

On his sixth attempt at the World Cup and with India not having won the competition since 1983, Tendulkar finally became a part of the team that lifted the coveted trophy. Carried on the shoulders of the Indian team, he made a lap of honour, shedding tears of joy after the victory was sealed in his home city.

The 2011 World Cup was also the first time, in which a host nation ended up winning the trophy.

Apart from Tendulkar, England's Andrew Flintoff is the only other cricketer to feature in the list. In 2005, England managed to defeat Australia in an Ashes Test, but Flintoff chose to first shake hands with Brett Lee rather than celebrate with his side.

Matthias Steiner (weightlifting), Natalie du Toit (swimming), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (triathlon), Xia Boyu (mountaineering) have been nominated in the list.

Female tennis stars also feature in the list for coming up with an equal play, equal pay campaign. After pressure from Venus Williams and others, Wimbledon announced that female tennis players would receive prize money equal to the men's.

German international footballer Miroslav Klose was playing for Lazio in Italy's Serie A in 2012 against Napoli when he rose for a ball in the early moments of the game.

The ball came spiraling off his hand and skirted into the back of the net and a goal was awarded. While most players would carry on as if nothing had happened, Klose was honest with the referee and admitted that he handled the ball.

As a result, he also finds a place on the list.

The Laureus Sporting Moment Award celebrates the moments where the sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way.

This campaign has shortlisted 20 sporting stories from the last 20 years that have left their mark on the world.

The winner will be decided on the basis of public voting. It has already started, and the final date to cast the vote is February 16.

Finally, the result will be declared on February 17.
With three knock-out rounds, the top-20 moments will be whittled down to ten then five, with the top-five moments going head-to-head.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Mumbai, Jan 5: India captain Virat Kohli has refrained from making any comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), without gaining full knowledge on the sensitive subject.

The CAA will grant Indian nationality to people belonging to minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12, even if they don't possess any proper document.

In 2016, Kohli had termed demonetisation as the "greatest move in history of Indian politics", which met with sharp criticism from a lot of quarters, with people questioning his knowledge on the subject.

With Guwahati witnessing massive protests against the CAA till some days back, Kohli was asked about it and the Indian skipper weighed his words carefully.

"On the issue, I do not want to be irresponsible and speak on something that has, you know, radical opinions both sides. I need to have total information, total knowledge of what it means and what is going on and then be responsible to give my opinion on it," Kohli said ahead of India's first T20 International against Sri Lanka.

The skipper made it clear that he will not like to get embroiled in a controversy by commenting on a subject that he is not well aware of.

"Because you can say one thing and then someone can say another thing. So, I would not like to get involved in something that I don't have total knowledge of and it's not going to be responsible on my part to comment on it." However Kohli on his part was happy with the security arrangements and felt that the city is "absolutely safe".

"The city is absolutely safe. We didn't see any problems on the roads," Kohli said, giving his thumbs-up for the match at the Barsapara Stadium.

The Assam Cricket Association is using this match as a "curtain-raiser" ahead of their maiden IPL match this season as Rajasthan Royals have adopted this venue.

There has been deployment of Rapid Action Force for the teams and ACA secretary Devajit Saikia has said the spectators will not even be allowed to bring along handkerchiefs and towels on the match-day as the traditional Assamese scarf was used for protests against CAA.

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