Enigma Variations

Bribery and cheating in sport

October 13th, 2007

The current fankle about Andy Murray’s comments on match fixing in tennis has once again raised the question of how reliable the results are in any of the sports we watch. Of course we have the usual expressions of outrage that anyone could suggest that their sport was anything other than pure as the driven snow – or in this case Tim Henman’s tennis whites. Anyone who actually believes this is as naive as the hapless administrator charged with saying it is pretending to be. Sport is big money,and where there’s money there’s corruption, especially where betting comes into the equation. Whether it’s the struggling players at the lower end who are tempted into involvement in low visibility betting scams such as Murray was referring to or high profile international players such as Hansie Cronje the former South African cricket captain, there are always those prepared to apply pressure to anyone who can turn a result. This could be in the form of enticements or threats or a combination of both; which makes the tennis authorities response of forcing any player approached to report it to them within 48 hours a dangerous one for the innocent players who have to live in such an environment. If someone tries to bribe you it may well be the safest response to simply refuse the offer and forget it happened. Otherwise if there is heavyweight mafia-style involvement you may find the consequences of reporting it unpleasant. And of course do you really know who you can trust? Imagine a young batsman emerging into that South African side being approached and going to his captain for advice!

Meanwhile we’ve also had the Marion Jones drug affair in athletics and that is a sport in serious trouble. Only someone with their head deeply immersed in the seaside stuff can have any belief in the credibility of any results in any major event. You simply don’t know who is on drugs and who, if anyone, isn’t. Though a look at physique and running style can give you a suspicion. So far the glamour of the Olympics  has shielded the sport to some degree but the number of drug cases bring revealed will inevitably lead to a point where no-one bothers to watch any more. And when that happens the TV companies and major sponsors will get out faster than any sprinter. If I were organising the London Olympics I’d be getting worried about now.

Entry Filed under: sport