This was going on last 4,5 days in Malaysia, but gets prominence today in India, with a news agency flashing it.

Recently, Malay Mail came out with a series of reveleations to the effect that they put the Malaysian players and coaches in a spot. Web sites picked up from there and the end result the burden is beginning to weigh on Indian hockey right now.

The question now is, was India-Malaysia match played on May 17, on the penultimate day of the Azlan Shah Cup, fixed? That was India’s fourth straight win that enabled India to reach the final.

This writer was the only Indian journalist there in Ipoh, covering the tournament for the New Indian Express and for Press Trust of India.

On the face of it the issue seems to be the handiwork of those who oppose the present coaching staff, especially in the light of Malaysian team’s utter failure in the last Asian Games and Japan Olympic Qualifier.

I will come out with my views later, before that have a look at what Indian agency released today that set the television sets on fire.

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 25 (PTI) A concerned International
Hockey Federation (FIH) will wait for the full facts to come
out before taking action into the match-fixing allegations in
the Azlan Shah match between Malaysia and India.

Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had lodged a police
complaint on Friday after tabloid ‘Malay Mail’ published a
report claiming that several Malaysian players had fixed a
match against India in the Azlan Shah Cup as they had placed
online bets on Malaysia losing the last round-robin game.

MHF had also started their own investigation on the
allegations regarding the match which India had prevailed 2-1
over Malaysia on May 17.

FIH claimed that they were in the dark over the
allegations of match fixing but would look into it after the
investigations are over.

“This is the first time we have heard of such
allegations. We compliment the Malaysian Hockey Federation for
their prompt action and will wait for the results of the
investigation,” FIH president Els van Breda Vriesman was
quoted as saying by the newspaper.

According to the tabloid, chief coach Sarjit Singh and
his assistant coaches were seen at the Pudu police station on
Tuesday, but the investigating officer of the case said the
coaches had come on their own accord to make a police report
similar to the one made by MHF secretary Hashim Yusoff.

The officer added police would speak to more players and
others, including a ‘Malay Mail’ journalist, to assist in the
investigations.

Note: s2h editor, being the lone Indian journalist covering the tournament, will come out
with his views on the matter tomorrow, as is presently busy doing write up for newspapers and other media.