 FIFA gives bans to 58 over match-fixing in China February 25, 2013 - 18:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - FIFA imposed worldwide football bans on 58 players and officials Monday, Feb 25 over a match-fixing and bribery scandal in China. The 58 had already been banned by the Chinese Football Association over match-fixing in the late 1990s and early 2000s following a series of trials, FIFA said, according to RIA Novosti. The 58 include two former heads of the Chinese FA, a World Cup referee and four former players in the Chinese national team, reports in the local media said. Of those banned, 25 received five-year sanctions and the remaining 33 life bans, FIFA said, without specifying who was handed which punishment. Chinese authorities have been keen to crack down on football corruption in a much publicized drive for reform over the last three years. Leading club Shanghai Shenhua, which fielded Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba this season, was stripped of its 2003 national title and fined last week following a match-fixing probe. Partner news  Top stories Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was reelected to the post of the president of RA Chess Federation for 4 more years. Norway will host Chess World Cup 2013 on August 10 - September 4, 2013, with 4 Armenian players to participate in. Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian is currently 3rd with 4 points, Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov is 7th with 3 points. European Individual Chess Championship ended in Polish town of Legnica, with 24 chess players winning World Cup qualifications.   Partner news |  Latest news Lavrov: opposition must attend Syria conference without preconditions  The Russian FM also reiterated that Iran must be among nations invited to the conference that Russia and the U.S. are trying to organize.2 killed, 20 injured in Turkey hot-air balloon crash One ascending balloon was torn open as it hit the basket of another, and then plunged to Earth, witnesses said.New Cuban envoy presents copies of credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister At the meeting, the parties focused on the prospects of bilateral relations, and cooperation in the framework of international organizations.Russia, Peru to ink MiG-29 jet upgrade contract Russia completed a $20-million upgrade last year for Peru's Russian-built Mi-25 attack helicopters. |
