Different Forms of Corruption - Essay Example

Different Forms of Corruption Introduction Sport has always had those who cheat – whether in a well planned way, by accident as when rules are not known or understood , or on impulse when an opportunity presents itself. In some cases it is the sportsperson in the first instance who is corrupt,. In other cases it is associated people such as coaches, umpires, referees and owners or with those who bet on such events or the book makers involved. Why do these cases seem to appear to be more frequent in modern day sport than previously? An obvious answer is that there is so much more media coverage. It is perhaps as much a matter of perception than of fact. A hundred years ago a person either attended a sports event in person or else read about it in the newspaper after the event. Then came radio and film reports. In the 1930 outside broadcasts began from sporting events such as the Oxford /Cambridge boat race and football matches. Wimbledon was first broadcast in 1937 and the Football Association Cup final the following year according to ‘The BBC Story’ (undated) . Now in the 21st century we have instant replays, coverage around the globe, and much more in the way of electronic and medical checks. Starting blocks in athletic races for instance can tell to a split second when a runner leaves the blocks. An instant replay will show cheating that a referee and linesmen may have missed. There are also many more checks such as blood and urine tests which show up various prohibited substances – on occasions those taken inadvertently in such things as flu remedies. It is also possible to spot unusual betting patterns electronically. FIFA for instance has an Early Warning System GmbH ( 2011) which looks at betting patterns. None of these checks were present earlier so, if there was any corruption, it would have been much less obvious and harder to prove. Types of Currently Profiled Corruption Wrong decisions Everyone has come across officials who seem to miss the important moment , but it is difficult to prove that they really do not know what is going on. Football – according to Sepp Blatter, FIFA president , in a report of May 2010, referees are a weak link when it comes to fighting corruption. So much so that before the 2006 World Cup referees had security guards posted a t their hotels and were not allowed to take or make outside calls. Their fees have been increased as an incentive – so it almost looks like do wrong and be rewarded. Although there are no international matches in recent years where corruption has been proved, but suspicions remain. Cricket – the International Cricket Council has an Anti-corruption and Security Unit ( ACSU). A report of 2009 tells how betting on the sport has increased in recent years and how this in itself leads to corruption. Breaking the eligibility rules. This is something that has long gone on in amateur sports where people play in teams they are not eligible for – perhaps they are too old, or too young. They may be required to live, or even have been born in a certain area or country. Sometimes the rules are kept , but only by the most careful manipulation of them, as when a player changes nationality such as in the famous case of Zola Budd, whose application for British nationality was rushed through in record time in 1984, South Africa having been banned from the competition as mentioned in a report from Earthtimes, August 2010. . Players may find themselves trapped by contracts they can’t get out of as in the case of former Sheffield Eagles player Sam Barlow, now playing for Halifax. The RFL says there is no reason why he can’t play, but Sheffield disagree. The poor player is caught in the middle. ( Collins September 2010) Also under this heading might be the use of certain equipment – perhaps a particular type of golf club or ball not acceptable to the ruling body, and believed to give a player an unfair advantage. The wrong awarding of contracts This covers such things as giving the construction contract for a new stadium to someone who is corrupt. But corruption is a two way crime – he who gives and he who accepts are equally guilty. It also covers thing such as winning the bidding war for large events – whether this be a Cup Final or a world athletic gathering such as the Common wealth Games or the Olympic Games. Drugs in Sport This is a broad subject covering such things as drugging greyhounds and race horses to make them go faster or slower as required. Also included would be athletes taking drugs to enhance their performance, or even being given them by coaches in order to ensure success, and , in cases of extreme naivety, perhaps them not realizing the substance was banned. This is another area where it isn’t always easy to prove corruption – some hormones for instance are produced naturally in the body, but athletes are banned from taking them. Or perhaps they are hidden under another name in a cold remedy or something similar. Controversially a former middle distance runner, Ron Clarke of Australia, in 2002, was reported by the BBC as saying that the use of drugs merely made for a more even match . ‘If its not dangerous no ( it should not be banned) it just levels the playing field.’. He reasons that athletes born at sea level are disadvantaged when running or playing against those from higher altitudes. False Claims It is relatively easy to make false claims against a sportsman or woman that would result in them being banned. Thanks to modern technology such claims can often be refuted as in the recent John Terry case referred to elsewhere. Throwing a match/match fixing This would cover such things as too many no balls or dropped catches in cricket, a goal keeper allowing in more balls than he might, or an athlete pulling up short with ‘cramp’ which doesn’t exist., and impossible to prove as all symptoms would vanish in a matter of seconds. Usually the reason behind this kind of cases is financial gain, but occasionally there are other pressures involved. If the player is to receive a ‘backhander’ then it can be more or less guaranteed that someone else is going to make an even bigger gain. A report by Wilson of Goal.com ( July 2009) claims that football is used as a means of money laundering and is at risk from other forms of crime. He is quoting from a report put together by the Financial Action Task Force whose specific purpose is to track money from organized crimes. As well as corrupt betting practices, they mention such things as money laundering, tax evasion and even the buying and selling of clubs. The report hints at such things as clubs being linked to such things as drug crimes and people trafficking . He mentions, without giving details, players who have been proved to have evaded taxes with the compliance of their club management. Sabotage Readers of books by Dick Francis will know all about this. The girth strap almost cut through, the briar beneath a saddle and all the rest. In boxing perhaps the gloves aren’t as perfect as they might be, or are smeared with something irritating, in running perhaps a shoe is damaged or a runner is ‘accidentally’ tripped or run off the track. Specific Cases The International Cricket Council in 2009 cited cases brought against the South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje and also the respective captains of the Indian and Pakistani teams, Mohammed Azharuddin and Salim Malik. All three received life bans from playing in international matches, but meanwhile the reputation of cricket was tarnished once more. Since that time there have of course been other cases. In the case of Pakistani cricket it is alleged that corruption comes from the top in a report of September 2010 by Cricketing Spot. The writer alleges that the president of the Pakistani Cricket Board is only there as a political appointment and has no knowledge of the game. The selection of players is also alleged to be due to both political and financial pressure. So corrupt is the game, alleges the anonymous writer, that Pakistan is in danger of being banned from the international game. Paul Hayward in the Observer ( September 2010) speaks of how a modern day young sportsman is caught not between losing and winning, but rather between temptation and missing out. He goes on to speak of players caught in the spotlight when they are really under duress, even in cases where they benefit financially. One of the most recent cases to come to light is that involving footballer John Terry. He was accused by a steward of deliberately causing injury, but fortunately for Terry , as quoted by Cooper, ( 8th January 2011) a spokesman for Chelsea football club has said ‘Video footage of the match clearly shows any claim to be ridiculous.’ Reasons for the Present Corruption in Sport It seems natural to want one’s team, or even oneself, to win and this must be behind many cases of corruption – as when for instance an opponent is tackled in an illegal way, or an athlete takes drugs in order to enhance his speed or strength. This desire to win can extend to a country’s team, as in the ‘bodyline’ cricket controversy in the 1930’s when balls were deliberately aimed at players. (Bodyline a brief history, undated). Above all else I believe that greed is behind most cases of corruption in sport. Greed on the part of promoters perhaps in boxing matches, or among those among the betting public who prefer a sure thing to even the best odds. Greed on behalf of officials who perhaps see footballers getting wages which are ridiculously high as opposed to the fees they receive. In other sports there are similar discrepancies. The Rugby Association of Wales puts fresh air and exercise as the primary benefits of becoming a referee rather than what they describe as ‘small rewards’ ( 2009) . .Potential Solutions for Dealing with the Corruption According to a 2010 report from Transparency International prevention is the best defence. This they say should cover everything from the safe and better construction of stadiums to bidding for large events such as the World Cup. They mention such things as risk management and whistle blowing telephone lines as well as internal codes and standardized codes of ethics. Then come the problems - who for instance decides what is ethical and what isn’t. Who makes the rules? - an international committee that doesn’t understand how important it is that your team wins. They felt that educational programmes can be helpful, especially in the case of more vulnerable players – the younger ones perhaps. Conclusion Corruption is part of man’s inhumanity to man. It isn’t going to go away however many techniques are used to overcome it, detect it and prevent it. Part of the reason is of course the huge fees involved in the case so such people as top grade footballers – fees which depend upon success. In other sports and similar activities such as ballroom dancing, it can be very expensive to participate - the cost of entrance fees, hotels, transport etc soon add up – if success can be guaranteed then temptation beckons – as it always has. There will always be those who resist, but unfortunately they will be competing against those who fall. As for corruption the best that can be hoped is that it will be lessened and weakened, not just by vigilance and constant checks, but also by a change for the better in attitudes among all concerned. References BODYLINE , A BRIEF HISTORY ( undated) , available from http://www.btinternet.com/~warney/bodyline/main.htm, accessed 19th January 2011) COLLINS,J., Eligibility storm over Eagles rival, The Star, available from http://www.thestar.co.uk/sportheadlines/Eligibility-storm-over-Eagles-rival.6534482.jp )( accessed 19th January 2011) CRICKETING SPOT, 2010 , Cricket corruption and future of Pakistan cricket, available from http://cricketingspot.blogspot.com/2010/09/cricket-corruption-and-future-of.html ( accessed 19th January 2011) BLATTER, S., quoted by Rory Smith, 17th May 2010, The Telegraph, Available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/world-cup-2010/7731001/World-Cup-referees-could-be-weak-link-in-fight-against-corruption.html ( accessed 19th January 2011) CLARKE,R. quoted by BBC SPORT, 3RD July 2002, Aussie legend ‘supports drug use’, Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/drugs_in_sport/2088360.stm ( accessed 19ht January 2011) COOPER, M., 8th January 2011, No action against Terry, Press Association, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/no-action-against-terry-over-assault-claim-2179427.html ( accessed 19th January 2011) EARLY WARNING SYSTEM GmbH, 2011, Available from http://www.fifa-ews.com/ ( accessed 19th January 2011) HAYWARD, P., September 2010, The machinery of corruption in sport will go on untouched, Available from http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/sep/05/pakistan-corruption-betting-worldwide ( accessed 19th Jnauary 2011) RUGBY ASSOCIATION OF WALES, 2009, Available from http://www.rawales.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=55&lang=cy ( accessed 19th January 2011) THE BBC STORY, ( undated) Available from http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/factsheets/1930s.pdf , ( accessed 19th January 2011) THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, 2009, Anti-Corruption Overview , available from http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/anti_corruption/overview.php, ( accessed 19th January 2011) THIS DAY IN OLYMPIC HISTORY, August 2010, Earthtimes, available from http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/224553,this-day-in-olympic-history-august-10.html ( accessed 19th January 2011) TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ,2011, Prevention: the best defense, Available from http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2010/preventing_corruption_in_sport#2, ( accessed 19th January 2011) WILSON, Z. , July 2009, English Football At Serious Risk From Organised Crime – Report, Goal.com, Available from http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/07/01/1357897/english-football-at-serious-risk-from-organised-crime-report ( accessed 19th January 2011)   Read More