SHANGHAI: Illegal gambling on football in China is a blot on Asian football and must be reined in by the government, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed bin Hammam warned yesterday.
The Asian football chief said it was imperative that Beijing intervene.
“The illegal betting and gambling in China is a black mark on our football but we can't fight it simply through national associations,” he told AFP.
“It requires government intervention to limit this through their own legal system, by putting the appropriate laws in place and enforcing them.”
Chinese football has long been plagued by corruption, with underground gambling rings at the root of many of the Super League's problems, encouraging referees, players and coaches to fix matches.
The league nearly collapsed in his inaugural season after a majority of clubs threatened to boycott matches over massive graft and the failure of footballing authorities to share advertising revenues.
The controversy led to fans refusing to attend matches and sponsors pulling out of deals during the second campaign.
Hammam, who was to meet Chinese Sports Minister Liu Peng to discuss the development of football in China on Monday in Beijing, said betting needed to be made legal so it could be managed.
“Establishing a well-regulated legal betting system, given the opportunity, can also help in controlling this problem,” he said.
“Of course, the revenue can go back into the grassroots, to help develop football and communities.”
FIFA chairman Sepp Blatter has also urged China to do more to curb gambling, while admitting to AFP late last year that it would be difficult to wipe out the scourge altogether.
“They have to control that but it is difficult, the bigger an association is. Can you imagine it in China with 1.3 billion people?”
Before the season began this year, Chinese Football Association chairman Xie Yalong told Super League clubs to mend their “sinful” ways or he would consider abandoning the league. – AFP
