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A basketball team coach under investigation for an alleged fixed match

A basketball team coach under investigation for an alleged fixed match

Posted May. 27, 2015 07:24,   

한국어

Kim Il, the king of “head-butting,” finally showed his power after being beaten numerous times. He staggered and grasped the opponent’s head. And then he lifted a foot and leaned backward. He ended the match with a powerful head-butting. Anxious viewers who were watching on a black-and-white television shouted at his final “punch” but they got curious why he did not head-butt his opponent in the first place. Some called it a “show.” Today, people know that pro-wrestling is more like an “entertainment” and does not mean a “head-on” game. It would be the only sports game that people would not raise a question even if it has a “scenario.”

Arnold Rothstein is a legend of the U.S. criminal gambling. When the Chicago White Sox played the Cincinnati Reds in the 1919 World Series, he bet 60,000 US dollars on the underdog Cincinnati Reds and made 270,000 dollars. Although he was suspected for manipulating gamblers to win over the players of the heavily favored Chicago White Sox, he was acquitted for lack of evidence. However, eight players who fixed the game were banned for life from playing basketball. The team was ridiculed as the “Black Sox,” instead of the “White Sox.” This is the “Black Sox scandal,” a classic example of a fixed game.

Around 50 people were arrested for fixed soccer matches associated with Mafia organizations in Italy on May 19. The players, coaches, and managers of about 30 clubs were involved in the scandal and dozens of matches have been rigged in Italian football’s third and fourth division. Fixed matches occur in sports regardless of events, countries, and professional and amateurish games. They are often related to crime such as gambling. Korea is no exception.

Police investigated Jeon Chang-jin, an active men’s professional basketball coach, for allegedly participating in an illegal Sports Toto and betting at least 300 million won against his team, the Busan KT, and taking almost twice the amount as dividends. Fans must have been puzzled when the coach inserted bench players at the last minute. Players who trusted him must be much more frustrated. If the investigation result turns out to be true, the case will be remembered as a dirty scandal of a coach who gave up the spirit of fair play and work ethics.



eligius@donga.com