Malaysia suspends football players for match fixing
The players from three clubs were suspended for between two and five years by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for fixing matches in the national under-20 President s Cup last year.
A coach for central Negeri Sembilan state, who was already charged last year for bribing players to fix matches, was also banned for life.
The bans, which were announced Saturday, mean players can no longer take part in any official football-related activity. “This proves that FAM is serious about tackling the scourge,” FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was quoted by the Star daily as saying.
“I hope the punishment meted out will serve as a lesson to all football players and officials in the country. I hope that match fixing will not rear its ugly head in Malaysian football again,” he added.
A FAM official confirmed the comments to AFP Sunday.
Last year, three people, including the coach and a Singaporean bookmaker, were charged in court with bribing players with up to 7,000 ringgit ($2,300) to fix matches during the President s Cup last year and in 2010.
In a separate case, Malaysian authorities are probing nine players for northern Perlis state over a January game in the Malaysian Super League, a premier league tournament.
They reportedly admitted to having contact with a bookmaker who offered them up to 100,000 ringgit each for losing the game. One player has been suspended.
The match-fixing probe is a fresh blow to Malaysian football, which has struggled to recover from a 1994 scandal that saw 21 players and coaches sacked, 58 players suspended and 126 players questioned over corruption.
Tennis: Morita beat Hercog in Fed Cup
Japanese number one Ayumi Morita beat Polona Hercog on Sunday to give Japan an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Slovenia in the Fed Cup tennis World Group II first-round tie.
The 21-year-old ace, who received the Fed Cup Heart Award last year, overwhelmed Slovenia s top player in the deciding set for a 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory.
On Saturday, former world number four Kimiko Date-Krumm defeated Hercog 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to put Japan one up, and Morita made it 2-0 by beating Nastja Kolar 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Japan will go on to face the country that loses the first round of the World Group, which has not yet been completed.
Multan: Police van crushes youth to death
As per details, Asif, an employ of Multan Institute of Cardiology, was passing through Masoom Road when a speedy police van ran over him, killing him on the spot.
Locals gathered, staged protest and pelted stones at police vehicles.
SSP operation reached the spot and assured the protesters to take strict action against the accused.
Khar to visit Russia next week
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said that Pakistan is actively engaged with other countries diplomatically with respect to emerging situation in Afghanistan.
He said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will visit Russia next week for talks on bilateral relations and regional situation.
Basit said Pakistan is actively engaged with other countries diplomatically with respect to emerging situation in Afghanistan.
The spokesman said Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani would also visit Qatar from Monday to have discussions with its leadership.
He said on-going process of reconciliation in Afghanistan will come under discussion during Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to Qatar.
Zambia through to semifinals at African Cup
Zambia was the first team through to the African Cup of Nations semifinals after a clinical 3-0 win over struggling 10-man Sudan on Saturday.
Defender Stophira Sunzu headed in from a free kick in the 15th minute and Christopher Katongo made it 2-0 in the 66th when he scored from the rebound after his penalty was saved.
Substitute James Chamanga sealed Zambia s dominance in the 86th with a curling shot from the edge of the area.
Sudan s hopes of an upset at a near-deserted Estadio de Bata slipped away when defender Saifeldin Ali Idris was sent off in the 65th for a reckless foul on Rainford Kalaba that led to Katongo s spot kick.
Zambia will play the winner of Sunday s Ghana-Tunisia game in the semis back in Bata on Wednesday.
6.0 magnitude quake hits off Philippines
A 6.0-magnitude quake struck off the eastern coast of the Philippines on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was immediately issued.
The quake hit at 9:09 pm local time (1309 GMT) off the island of Samar, at a depth of 60 kilometres (38 miles) around 100 kilometres north of the city of Guiuan, USGS said.
The epicentre was around 600 kilometres east of the capital Manila, according to USGS.
Philippine seismologists measured the quake at a much-weaker 4.7-magnitude, said Alex Flores, duty officer at the operations centre of the government s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The council had not monitored any reports of casualties or damage, she added.
An aftershock measuring 5.4 in magnitude later struck around 66 miles north of Guiuan, the USGS recorded.
Officials at the state Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology could not be reached for comment on Saturday night.
PTIs Quetta public meeting postponed
According to sources, The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) public meeting scheduled for Quetta on Pakistan Day has been postponed on resistance from nationalist parties in Balochistan.
Now the PTI’s public meeting will be held in April. The exact date of the public rally will be announced later.
Imran Khan during his public meeting in Karachi on December 25, 2011 had announced to hold a public meeting in Quetta on March 23.
Mixed trend persisted at KSE during week
Due to profit taking, the Karachi Stock Exchange remained under pressure, however some trade was witnessed in banking, cement and textile sector.
The KSE-100 index closed at 11,983 points with a gain of 23 points.
Trade volume reduced by 22 percent as compared with last week and average 91.7 million shares traded daily.
Amir to face another inquiry on return
According to sources, FIA will take him into custody on his arrival and seek details from Pakistan Cricket Board and advertisement agencies with regarding to assets of Muhammad Amir. He will also be investigated in terms of Crown Prosecution Report.
Kobayashi eats record 337 chicken wings
Japanese competitive-eating champ Takeru Kobayashi ate a record 337 chicken wings in 30 minutes before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Wing Bowl XX in the U.S.
He demolished the record of 255 set last year by Jonathan “Super” Squibb.
The Friday morning contest in Philadelphia drew thousands to watch competitors stuff themselves with chicken wings.
Kobayashi claimed a $20,000 cash prize.
