Advertisement

Opinion | Low stakes and lower interest – why does no one seem to care about match-fixing in Hong Kong soccer?

Fans being more bothered about World Cup television pricing than the plague on domestic league makes it difficult for HKFA and ICAC to battle betting

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Former footballer Lee Wai-lim arrives at the District Court in Wan Chai to hear his sentence over a match-fixing offence. Photo: Dickson Lee
Match-fixing in Hong Kong soccer has reared its ugly head again in recent weeks because of the trial involving Pegasus players and staff relating to charges from the 2015-2016 season.
Advertisement

Two weeks after four co-defendants were dismissed without charge because of the credibility of the witness, former Hong Kong footballer of the year Lee Wai-lim was sentenced. He had pleaded guilty, the only one of the five players to do so.

So what price football’s soul?
Pegasus players in training in 2016. Photo: Dickson Lee
Pegasus players in training in 2016. Photo: Dickson Lee

When the initial reports broke, the number was HK$90,000 split between six people. That is not a great deal of money, even accounting for the poor pay of players in Hong Kong. It’s sad that such a small figure could prove tempting.

Lee said he was paid HK$20,000 to fix matches but had to pay half of it back as he had failed to fix the score in one game. Instead, his Pegasus side won. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.

Advertisement

Instead of jail time, Lee has to complete 180 hours of community service.

Advertisement