The country’s top volleyball league has banned 11 players for life for their involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
The Korean Volleyball Federation announced Monday its decision to impose a lifetime ban on 11 players ― nine from the men’s league and two from the women’s ― who were found to have received bribes for fixing games in 2010 and 2011.
Also, four former players involved in the case were banned from participating in any volleyball activities and a Samsung Bluefangs player who had reported himself to the authorities was suspended indefinitely on Monday, the sport’s governing body said in a statement.
The ban came after the players were indicted last month by prosecutors for their alleged role in match rigging.
Finishing up its monthlong inspection, Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office announced last week that 31 people were involved in the probe.
Among those indicted were 12 active players and four former players in the country’s top league.
The 11 players who received lifetime bans took up to 5 million won ($4,500) per game from gambling brokers for deliberately making mistakes when they received, tossed and spiked balls.
Six of those indicted are former and current players for KEPCO 45, while four players are currently with the military club Sangmu.
The two female players are currently with Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders.
Under a recently revised law on sports promotion, players who are involved in match-fixing may be jailed for up to five years or fined a maximum of 50 million won ($45,000).
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
