Player tortured over match fixing

BEIJING – A Chinese football player has accused his team of kidnapping and torturing him over alleged match fixing, state press reported yesterday.

Li Zhenhong, 28, said he was beaten up on two occasions by thugs hired by his club Changsha Jinde after he played poorly in a defeat in a league match in mid-August, the Titan Sports Weekly reported. The incident was the latest to hit the domestic league, which has been riven by match fixing, corrupt refereeing and gambling for years.Li said four thugs, including the chauffeur of Changsha manager Zhang Peng, kidnapped and beat him on August 24 and threatened to put him in a sack and throw him in a river if he did not confess to taking bribes, the paper said.After the midfielder was released, he complained to the club, which promised an investigation.But on September 7, the thugs kidnapped Li again, beat him and threatened to bury him alive in a ditch if he did not confess and pay them 100,000 yuan (13,000 dollars).Li has left the team and refused to play unless the club apologises and declares him free of the match-fixing charges, the report said.”Li Zhenhong said he would return to the team if we declare that he is innocent of match fixing,” the paper quoted Zhang as saying, while denying involvement in the beatings and kidnappings.”The problem is how can we declare him innocent of match fixing if we never accused him of it in the first place?” -Nampa-AFPThe incident was the latest to hit the domestic league, which has been riven by match fixing, corrupt refereeing and gambling for years.Li said four thugs, including the chauffeur of Changsha manager Zhang Peng, kidnapped and beat him on August 24 and threatened to put him in a sack and throw him in a river if he did not confess to taking bribes, the paper said.After the midfielder was released, he complained to the club, which promised an investigation.But on September 7, the thugs kidnapped Li again, beat him and threatened to bury him alive in a ditch if he did not confess and pay them 100,000 yuan (13,000 dollars).Li has left the team and refused to play unless the club apologises and declares him free of the match-fixing charges, the report said.”Li Zhenhong said he would return to the team if we declare that he is innocent of match fixing,” the paper quoted Zhang as saying, while denying involvement in the beatings and kidnappings.”The problem is how can we declare him innocent of match fixing if we never accused him of it in the first place?” -Nampa-AFP