The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game
Perhaps the most shocking thing about the revelation (at the Interpol/AFC Conference on match-fixing) that ‘match-manipulation’ is now a world-wide pandemic organized by international crime syndicates, was that not one of the 150 delegates were actually shocked. That’s a terrible indictment and simply illustrates how far the ‘cancer’ has spread.
It sickens me that sport, for it is not just football that is sadly afflicted, has become a target for the cowardly cheating parasites who seek to gain illicit and quick fortunes from something that honest people hold dear. At the heart of sport and fundamental to its essence, is purity of competition. Without it, sport is utterly worthless. Millions of decent people spend millions of dollars of hard-earned money to watch sport in the belief that they are witnessing something true, clean and genuine. The people that seek to undermine that principle are beneath contempt. If I didn’t find them repugnant and morally bankrupt, I would actually pity them.
The Conference concluded that only a concerted, global and coordinated response will combat this plague. Depressingly it is also clear that total eradication will be difficult, particularly in Asia.
There are many well-publicised and high profile cases involving the discovery and subsequent punishment of players, coaches, officials and administrators including some in Hong Kong! This is simply dealing with the symptom and not the cause, because the main perpetrators, the ‘fixers’ are never brought to justice. They evade retribution and disappear only to raise their despicable faces somewhere else. This is because most Governments have no specific laws relating to match-manipulation. Furthermore it is often seen as a victimless crime, and due to the use of global technology the offence is difficult to detect, and usually committed outside the local jurisdiction.
There is no room for complacency in Hong Kong, in fact quite the opposite. ‘Fixers’ often target ‘new’ Leagues and particularly in places where players, coaches and officials are seen as ‘vulnerable’ due to relatively low wage levels.
FIFA advocates a zero-tolerance approach and so must we. And not just in terms of the rhetoric we use. In my opinion, anyone found guilty of match-manipulation at any level must be severely sanctioned including life-time, world-wide bans from involvement in football. I will be making this recommendation as part of plans for the new Premier League. I will also be seeking the cooperation of the football community (clubs, players, officials etc) together with the Government, the ICAC, the Police and other stakeholders in upholding the integrity of football and stamping out the evil that threatens the game we love.
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華麗足球背後的陰暗面
由國際刑警組織(InterPol)舉辦及亞洲足協(AFC)支持、來自150個代表團出席的國際會議上，逐步揭露了現今球壇醜惡的一面，不少非法分子背後操控的賽事比數如致癌病毒般擴散，掀起一場又一場震撼人心的黑幕，情況令人痛心疾首。
這種如飽受病毒感染的運動，不但影響了足球事業的健康發展，同時亦助長不法分子憑藉欺騙行為來傷透廣大球迷的心靈，以非法手段賺取豐厚利潤。在公平競技原則下，幕後操控的賽事即變得一文不值。全球數以億計的球迷以自己辛苦賺來的血汗錢去觀賞球賽，無非希望球會雙方都以真誠純潔的比賽態度，為廣大球迷奉獻一場高水準比賽；相反，大家觀賞的只是一場黑箱作業的球賽，若球迷沒有流露出反感和抗拒，我會為他們感到悲哀。
在會議上得出的結論是：全球只有一致性地通力合作，才可打擊這場「瘟疫」，但要將這種「惡菌」連根拔起卻近乎無望，尤其發生在亞洲地區中。
過去一些廣受傳媒報道的案例，當中包括不少球星、教練、官方人員或球圈人士牽涉其中，當中更有一些案例於本港發生!部分判刑雖可帶來震懾作用，但真正的幕後黑手卻成功逃避司法制裁，全因大部分國家目前沒有相關的「非法操控比賽」監管法例，從而令不法分子消遙法外；加上在無遠弗屆的網絡技術配合下，警方打擊跨國犯罪更加舉步維艱，讓新興罪犯視它為一種唯利可圖的捷徑。
表面看似香港這個彈丸之地「無利可圖」，但情況卻恰恰相反，幕後黑手或以「新興」聯賽來尋求下手目標，在收入相對較低的情況下，部分球員、教練以至相關職員可能抵受不住誘惑而以身犯險，從事非法活動。國際足聯 (FIFA)倡議的零容忍政策，同樣適用於本港球圈人士的身上。我建議任何人不論牽涉多少的非法利益，但凡從事「非法操控比賽」的行為，一經判罪，除了必須受到法律制裁外，亦建議讓他們終身禁賽、全球禁賽或永久禁止踏入球圈半步。我已將這動議納入新聯賽的計劃中，同時將與本港球壇通力合作(包括球會、球員及相關人員等)，並與政府、廉政公署、警方和其他股東謀求共識，全力將球壇上的壞分子一網打盡！
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ASIAN CONFERENCE ON INTEGRITY IN SPORT
Outcome Statement
Kuala Lumpur, 21 February 2013
‘Match-fixing: The ugly side of the beautiful game’
An international conference for representatives from national Asian Football Associations and law enforcement
A two-day international conference focusing upon enhancing the prevention and investigation of match-fixing in football was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 20 and 21 February 2013.
The conference was organized by INTERPOL within the framework of the INTERPOL-FIFA Training, Education and Prevention Initiative, with the active support of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA.
Some 170 delegates from more than 40 countries and 10 international organizations came together in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the threats posed to football by match-fixing and ways to further improve its prevention and investigation. Delegates included officials from international organizations including FIFA, AFC, FIFPro, SportAccord and INTERPOL, senior representatives from national football associations, players representatives, betting organizations and law enforcement.
During the conference, speakers looked at current and anticipated future trends in match-fixing, the impact development in betting markets are having, and the adverse influence organized crime has on football. In addition, ways of enhancing good governance in the football family, the importance of protecting players, and initiatives in training, education, prevention and investigation were highlighted.
The conference recognized the challenge posed by match-fixing in many countries in Asia. It noted with concern the involvement of organized crime and professional criminals in match-fixing and associated illegal activities, including irregular betting.
The conference also recognized that match-fixing is a global issue having a negative effect upon football, its participants and the general public who watch sport as an entertainment in the belief that it is a fair and honest game. Match-fixing is an ‘ugly side of the beautiful game’.
Delegates welcomed recent developments to tackle match-fixing in football, both internationally and nationally, and resolved to actively support the implementation of the INTERPOL training, education and prevention programme. Representatives from FIFA and AFC also underlined their zero-tolerance stands on match-fixing.
In addition, the importance of having internationally consistent legislation regarding ‘sporting fraud’ was identified. In this regard, delegates supported examining the development of the draft convention
on the manipulation of sports being prepared by the Council of Europe. Delegates also requested consideration of approaches to combat match-fixing at MINEPS V1 to be held in Berlin in May this year.
In order to tackle match-fixing more effectively, delegates supported:
The need to continue building effective partnerships between all the stakeholders who can contribute to the development of effective procedures at international and national levels (including football associations, law enforcement, gambling regulatory authorities, betting companies, players and referees associations and government departments);
The importance of establishing and using information-sharing mechanisms to identify what information is required, where it can be obtained, how it can be stored, analysed and disseminated in a timely way to enable the various stakeholders to use it effectively both to prevent and investigate match-fixing;
The development of coordination procedures, especially at the national level, to ensure that the best decisions can be made about who should take forward activities in the area of prevention and investigation of match-fixing, including the identification of national points of contact within all agencies;
The need to develop and implement a broad range of prevention activities through education, training and support to the various different participants in football (including players, officials and administrators), especially young players;
The importance of being proactive in both the prevention and investigation of match-fixing and irregular betting associated with football, in order to minimize its adverse effects on the game, its participants and the public.
In conclusion, delegates thanked those involved in the organization of the event and the Malaysian authorities for hosting this valuable conference.
1 World Sport Ministers Conference, Berlin, 28-30 May 2013, organized by UNESCO in cooperation with German Ministry of Interior
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關於亞洲會議上討論運動的廉正氣節
會議成果
二零一三年二月二十一日．吉隆坡
「操控球賽：華麗足球背後的陰暗面」
亞洲足聯成員及法律代表在國際會議上討論球壇的廉正作風
二零一三年二月二十和二十一日，在吉隆坡舉行的國際會議上，各代表成員在為期兩天的會議中探討有關調查及打擊非法操控球賽的事宜。
會議由國際刑警組織(INTERPOL)主持，聯同INTERPOL-FIFA訓練、教育及防止團體，以及馬來西亞防止貪污組織(MACC)、亞洲足協(AFC)和國際足聯(FIFA)的支持下掀起序幕。
來自全球四十個國家、約一百七十個代表團及十個國際組織，在吉隆坡的會議上聚首一堂，共同研究和探討有關非法操控球賽帶來的威脅，以及尋求方案如何進一步調查和遏止罪案的蔓延。代表團包括FIFA、AFC、FIFPro、SportAccord和INTERPOL等國際組織的代表、某些國家足球聯會的高層代表、球員代表、賭博公司和法律顧問等。
會議期間，與會代表揭示現時及未來非法操控球賽的趨勢、在足球賭博市場的發展與及有組織罪行所帶來的影響。除此之外，加強整合球圈的管治、保護球員的重要性及各項有關訓練、教育、防止及調查的相關措置亦是討論之列。
在會議上提及，亞洲大部分國家均面臨非法操控球賽的嚴峻挑戰，指出有組織罪行和專業罪犯活躍於從事各項操控球賽和相關非法活動，例如外團投注等。
與會者亦意識非法操控球賽是一個國際討論焦點所在，為足球運動本身帶來不同種程度的負面影響，包括業界人士，以及掏錢購票入場觀看球賽的廣大球迷，他們希望欣賞一場專業公平的高水準球賽，因此在幕後黑手操控的比賽下，華麗足球亦變得醜陋無比。
各國代表團歡迎最近一系列打擊非法操控球賽的建議，並表態支持INTERPOL訓練、教育及防止項目，而來自FIFA和AFC代表亦堅決落實零容忍政策，進一步打擊非法操控球賽活動。
除此之外，有關立法監管「體育騙案」的重要性亦在會上提及，代表團表態支持由歐洲委員會(Council of Europe)草擬立例打擊非法操控球賽，同時與會代表亦考慮要求將這個議題在今年五月柏林舉行的MINEPS V1上進一步討論。
有關進一步有效打擊非法操控球賽，與會代表支持：
．迫切地為球壇上有影響力的股東們，持續建立一套有效的國際合作關係(包括足球聯會、法律顧問、受法例監管的賭博機構、博彩公司、球員、裁判團體及政府部門)；
．研究建立一套完善的資訊分享機制的重要性，包括那些資訊可以公開、從哪裡擷取，以及怎樣儲存、分析和刪減某些有特定時效的資訊，方便各股東們有效運用它們去調查和打擊非法操控球賽；
．謀求發展合作機制，尤其適用於國際層面上，以確保各地區之間在調查和打擊非法操控球賽上尋求共識，作出明智決定，包括釐清各國間的國際觀點；
．迫切地發展和落實一系列有關訓練、教育、防止及調查的相關措置，同時全力支持足球業界各層面人士(包括球員、球會和管理者)，尤其專注於年青球員上；
．為消弭非法操控球賽為業界和公眾帶來的負面影響，各國必須嚴厲打擊從事非法操控球賽和相關非法賭博活動的人士。
總括而言，與會代表十分感激今次主辦方和馬來西亞當局舉行是次會議，獲益匪淺。
1 由UNESCO主辦、德國內政部(German Ministry f Interior)協辦的World Sport Ministers Conference將於2013年5月28至30日在柏林舉行。
