Minerva FC flag match-fixing attempt; AIFF asks for details

Acting on I-League leaders Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj's tweet that bribes were offered to two of his players in an alleged match-fixing attempt, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked for further details from the club, a source said.

"We have asked for details from Minerva Punjab. The integrity officer is on it. Let's see," an AIFF official told IANS on Thursday.

Bajaj had tweeted on Wednesday that the menace of match-fixing has hit India and there are people who are trying to singe the reputation of the game.

"We need to be ultra careful now/ the cat's out of the bag/ it has arrived in our country/ the curse of horrible people trying to ruin our beautiful game with the immediate lure of easy big money/ really hope NO MATCH OFFICIALS or PLAYERS fall in this trap," Bajaj had wrote on his Twitter handle.

When quizzed further about the club's next course of action, Bajaj told IANS: "I am writing a detailed report to AIFF. I have sent all the evidence to AFC (Asian Football Confederation) integrity team as well. I will also be filing an FIR with the police this evening."

Two of his players, one Indian and a foreigner, were offered bribes of up to Rs 30 lakh each, Bajaj said.

Not wanting to spell out the names of the players, he added that one of his players got a phone call on Tuesday while another was approached through Facebook on Wednesday.

Minerva Punjab are, surprisingly, on top of the I-League table with 22 points from nine outings. They have a three-point lead over second-placed East Bengal and have a match in hand.

--IANS

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