4 volleyball players receive lifetime ban

By Kang Seung-woo

The nation’s volleyball governing body said Monday that it has banned four players for life due to their involvement in a match-fixing scandal engulfing the professional league.

Three players from Suwon KEPCO 45 and one from Sangmu Shinhyup will be barred from local volleyball circles including any managerial or coaching careers as well as participation in any KOVO-organized contests, the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) announced.

It added that one player from the Samsung Bluefangs who confessed his involvement in the scam while playing for Sangmu has been suspended. The player could face severe punishment when the degree of his involvement is decided.

The volleyball federation’s tough measures come amid a widening probe into the game-rigging gripping the sport. The Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office has recently launched an investigation into six retired and active players, who are believed to have tried to fix matches while playing for Sangmu in recent seasons. Three have been arrested.

“We have decided to penalize the three after confirming their illegal actions from prosecutors,” said Park Sang-seol, the federation's secretary-general.

“It was inevitable to take severe punitive action in order to get the local professional volleyball league back on track.”

Sangmu, the military team comprising conscripted players, is under suspicion of fixing matches as its former and current players have been arrested for allegedly erring on purpose in exchange for cash from brokers. The Ministry of National Defense has decided to ban the military team from participating in the ongoing volleyball league.

KOVO is also set to carry out a federation-level probe into the squad.

“As we have just circumstantial evidence hinting that two to three active players on Sangmu are involved in the match-fixing scandal, the federation today hired a military attorney to obtain the facts,” Park said.

The secretary-general also said that retired players who were arrested will see penalties similar to those imposed on the four banned players.

“Although we need to wait for disciplinary action from their former clubs and the league’s board meeting, we plan to forbid them to appear at KOVO-organized competitions and take on jobs associated with the sport,” he said.

Meanwhile, the federation will accept voluntary confessions on match fixing from players until Wednesday.