Audio clip featuring 'sportspersons' brings bribery concerns to the fore

An audio recording, which purportedly features two local sportspersons discussing paying a bribe for playing, has taken the sports fraternity by storm. One of the sportpersons can be heard repudiating the plan in the 1.18-minute recording.

With no specific sport being mentioned in the clip, every association is on their toes, looking into any players, selectors, officials, coaches involved in the unlawful activity. However, sources claim that the two ‘players’ represent a famous sport, and have also played for Chandigarh.

In the clip, one of the players asks the other for a meetup, to which the other agrees. However, the latter says, "Try to understand me...I don’t have it (the money) and I can’t give it." He further says, "See, there was no agreement. I never said that I would pay money to play. I can’t give any money and we had no conversation in this regard." (audio excerpt)

As soon as the audio made the rounds in the public domain, sports associations started an internal, low profile investigation. “The audio is in the public domain. The associations are now planning for an internal inquiry to find out if the alleged players are registered with their units. The clip clearly features two men (aged above 20) having a conversation on something unlawful,” said an office-bearer of a local association.

While the audio is already out in the public domain, major associations are still trying to find out if they received any complaint in this regard by any player, official or office-bearer. Interestingly, only a handful of local associations have anti-corruption units — liable to track such complaints or be available to receive and act on such complainants. “Even if any association finds the alleged players, action will be initiated internally,” said an official.