KBL reveals measures on match-fixing

The Korean Basketball League Commissioner Kim Young-ki wipes his face during a news conference at the KBL headquarters in southern Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

The Korean Basketball League (KBL) announced Monday its measures against match-fixing and illegal sports betting, which resurfaced after Anyang KGC head coach Chun Chang-jin was investigated for allegedly betting against his own team.

However, the league organizers also seemed to bet against themselves by announcing measures whose effectiveness is questioned in tackling the match-fixing practice that has haunted the KBL for a long time.

During a news conference at the KBL headquarters in southern Seoul, KBL Commissioner Kim Young-ki apologized for the KBL being embroiled in another match-fixing and illegal sports scandal after the case of former Wonju Dongbu head coach Kang Dong-hee in 2013. He said the KBL will review Chun’s eligibility as a head coach.

Chun is under investigation for allegedly placing illegal bets on five games between February and March and substituting some bench players during his stint at the Busan KT Sonicboom last season. Police placed him on a travel ban list in early May and summoned him on June 25, with Chun denying this during 16 hours of questioning. He is scheduled to be summoned again on July 1.

“Regarding Chun’s case, we have conducted a written interview with Chun and thoroughly reviewed the games in question,” Kim said. Chun’s contract with the Sonicboom expired in April and he is scheduled to coach the KGC next season, which requires a registration with the KBL. “Thus, we are going to review his eligibility as a KBL head coach, based on our rules. A committee will review that and KBL board members will make a final decision,” Kim said.

However, questions linger over the timing of KBL’s announcement. Since Chun is under an ongoing investigation, the KBL’s announcement on Tuesday may pose a negative impact on both KGC and Chun. Police also said they are “keeping their eye on the KBL’s investigation of Chun.”

“Law enforcement’s investigation and decision-making process will take time,” said Kim. “And the KBL could not stand by over Chun’s case and decided to review this based on our own rules.” Kim stressed that the KBL’s action on Chun would be regardless of the law authorities’ decision about him.

Kim cited three KBL rules that are relevant to Chun’s case ― the KBL can restrict a coach’s job through due process when his eligibility is severely compromised, if he fails to use the best players in a game, and fails to do his best for a game.

Kim said the KBL is going to apply the second rule more strictly to all KBL teams in a bid to prevent match-fixing scandals, but that drew questions that how the league organizers can apply such abstract standards as “best players,” as well as concerns over the KBL’s excessive intervention in a coach’s team management.

It is a common tactic that a team that has booked a spot in the play-offs refrains from playing its best five in remaining league games to prevent their aces from being physically drained. To the question on how the KBL would be able to distinguish those tactics from a match-fixing attempt, Kim said “obvious” cases can be easily spotted.

This is the latest among a string of issues that have shaken the Korean basketball community after Kim started his second term at the top job of the country’s professional basketball last year. Earlier this year, the KBL was criticized among basketball fans for abruptly rescheduling championship games.