Once again there is a scandal involving sportsmen betting on the results of the sport they participate in. This perennial old chestnut makes a regular appearance from time to time - and so far nobody has been able to find an answer.
The rot set in many decades ago when the government caved in to demands by the TAB and other betting agencies to allow sports betting. It was a seductive argument. If it is legal to bet on horses and greyhounds - why is it not legal to bet on the outcome of football or cricket matches ?
Players and officials are by law prohibited from placing sporting bets, but that is so easily circumvented. In the easiest form, a mate is handed money and makes the wager in his name. Now it seems some sports people openly have accounts with betting agencies and place their wagers openly - in their own names.
The danger - as some of our cricketers recently found - is that the public lose confidence in the fairness of the sport they follow. The perception arises that some results are far from honest - and that damages that sport beyond repair.
How easy it would be for several key players in a team considered a certainty to win to deliberately play badly and allow a lesser opponent to get up - at remarkable odds for such an upset win ?
It looks like sport betting is here to stay. The only way to keep the sport clean is eagle eyed supervision of players - and an " out for life " penalty for those found to have broken the no-betting rule !
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