Revealed: How Malaysian betting agent tried to fix 2013 I-league matches

After AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta said that the result of some I-League matches had raised doubts in the federation last week, Mumbai Football club's senior official  made shocking revelations on Sunday confirming that his team was approached by match fixers.

Mumbai FC's Vice President Atul Bagdamia said that  the club was approached by a few Malaysian men. "They called me and invited the team to Malaysia to play friendly matches. They said all expenses would be borne by them. I was okay with the idea, not knowing what exactly they had in mind,” Bagdamia told an English daily.

According to a news report published in Indian Express, Bagdamia added that the man also asked him to fix the outcome of I-League matches before going to Malaysia. "When they mentioned match-fixing, I immediately broke contact with them," he said.

He said that he had informed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Interpol about the calls from Malaysia during a two-day seminar in New Delhi, which ended Thursday.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that in March-April 2013, Mumbai FC officials were offered huge amount to lose matches they were expected to win.

Sources said that one of the suspected kingpins of the global match-fixing scandal is a Malaysian Tamil named Segaran Gerry Subramaniam. 

Sources said that few players and members of the management were approached over the phone several times in March-April last year by Subramaniam, who identified himself as the owner of an online betting agency with operations in Australia, Singapore and Europe and Malaysia.

Last September, he was arrested by the Australian police for fixing domestic matches there. However, it could not be established if it was Gerry Subramaniam who contacted Mumbai FC officials.

Sources said that the team was in Pune for a match when an unknown person came to the team hotel and requested to meet a team official at the lobby,” said a source close to the team management.

According to the sources, he also requested to arrange meeting with few players and said he already had set up a meeting with another club.

Notably, on Wednesday last week, FIFA's anti-corruption officials had also raised doubts on the infamous 2011 I-League match between Dempo Sports Club and Air India that the former won 14-0.