Match Fixing: Threat to Indian Sport's Integrity

Abstract

Sport is a competitive physical activity aimed to use, maintain or improve physical ability and provide entertainment to participants. Evolution of sports has marked a new era of providing worldwide entertainment to the spectators and the audience. The content of entertainment factor has increased to such a frightening extent that now sports has deserted its true virtue and entered the entertainment field solely. The Indian Premier League is the biggest example of this where rich businessmen to top celebrities invest their golden fortune to entertain the audience via cricket. Such a scenario, where millions of rupees are at stake, is the nesting ground for corruption, cheating and gambling. In organized sports like cricket, football, basketball etc. match fixing and gambling has become the part and parcel. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the existing legal framework and concepts related to match-fixing in India and urge imposition of criminal liability on match-fixing by effective legislation specific to this issue. After doing so, this paper provides numerous suggestions that can be enforced as transitory measure until such a law is made and also after commencement of the same law.