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At Delhi’s Kotla ground, bookies employed cleaner to pass on match information during one IPL game: BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 5:
The recently-suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed potential corruptors plugging an accredited cleaner at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground for doing “pitch-siding,” which helps ball-to-ball betting. This was revealed by Shabbir Hussain Shekhadam Khandwawala, Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) Chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The new modus operandi was observed during one of the IPL games in Delhi, where a designated cleaner was using the time lag between actual match action and live TV coverage to help in ball-by-ball betting, which is also known as court-siding or pitch-siding.
Pitch-siding is the practice of transmitting information from sporting events for the purpose of gambling, or directly placing bets.
“One of my ACU officers caught a person and handed over the details to Delhi Police. While that particular offender managed to flee leaving behind his two mobile phones, ACU lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police,” Hussain, a former Director General of Gujarat Police, told PTI on Wednesday.
“We are thankful to Delhi Police that in a separate incident they caught two other persons from the Kotla on an ACU tip-off.”
The Delhi Police arrested two people with fake accreditation cards during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 2.
“So, on two separate days, these people managed to get access to Kotla. The one who fled came in the garb of a cleaner. However, we have all his details as he was employed for the tournament. His Aadhaar Card details have been handed over to Delhi Police,” Hussain said.
“I am confident that he will be nabbed in a day or two. He is a small fry working for a couple of hundred or some thousand bucks maybe,” the ACU supremo said.
But he did agree that lower-rung staff might be used by a bigger syndicate since, because of COVID-19, there is no access to hotels given the bio-secure measures.
“…as situations and circumstances change, so does the modus operandi of crime. But we are up for it,” Hussain said.
How did cleaning staff come under the ACU radar?
“The cleaner was standing (inside Feroz Shah Kotla premises) in a secluded area all by himself. So, one of our officers approached him and asked: ‘What are you doing here?’
“He said: “I am talking to my girlfriend”.
“My officer then asked him to dial the number he was talking to and then asked him to hand over the phones. Just when he was going through the contents of his phone, the guy fled from the spot,” Hussain revealed. But he did not divulge during which match the incident has occurred.
The cleaner was wearing the IPL accreditation card which all the class IV staff are given during the tournament from bus drivers, to cleaners, porters, etc.
“It was one of the evening matches in Delhi. He was wearing an I-card. Also, what raised suspicion was he had two mobiles,” he said.
“The information he may be supplying could be to someone more influential among bookmakers. So, we needed to inform the Delhi Police. Delhi Police has responded positively, and thus next instance two people were arrested.”
Hussain also confirmed that the ACU did not receive any complaint of corrupt approaches being made to players or support staff involved in IPL during the 29 games that were held.
“Obviously, with bio bubble and no crowd around, it certainly becomes a bit easier to manage as there is no physical proximity of (face to face meetings with players) questionable characters. When there is a crowd, it becomes difficult to check anyone and everyone,” Hussain said.
He also said that during the Mumbai leg, the hotel in which SunRisers Hyderabad team was staying had three people with questionable past record and whose names were in the ACU database. However, they couldn’t come in contact of the players.
“The moment we had information, we got in touch with Mumbai Police. The Police Commissioner of Mumbai took immediate cognisance and the Mumbai Police got hold of those three,” he added.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
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