Hong Kong pool players at centre of match-fixing allegation
Andrew Kong Bu-hong and Lee Chen-man, both members of the Hong Kong team and scholarship athletes at the Sports Institute, played against Russia in the World Cup of Pool in London last week, losing the first-round match 7-5.
The Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council expressed surprise yesterday after learning that two of their players could have been involved in an alleged fixed match.
Stephen Lee, snooker's former world No 5, was banned yesterday for fixing matches, and it seems that pool is also under the spotlight.
Andrew Kong Bu-hong and Lee Chen-man, both members of the Hong Kong team and scholarship athletes at the Sports Institute, played against Russia in the World Cup of Pool in London last week, losing the first-round match 7-5.
It was reported in Britain that footage of the match was sent to the World Pool Association in Australia after all major British bookmakers suspended betting on the match.
Asian bookmakers apparently changed the odds on a Russia win from evens to 1-14, alerting the promoters.
"We haven't heard anything from the world body regarding any wrongdoing in the match," said a council spokesman. "We know the match was played on the TV table and Kong felt a bit nervous and failed to deliver his best, while Lee did his best to try to save the match.