Cricket
Cricket betting threatens to tarnish the Cricket Association of Nepal's (CAN) reputation and ruin its plans to develop cricket in the country.
Controversies and organising problems harangue CAN's first T20 League, currently progressing in Kathmandu, since the start.
The latest allegations point to fixing of matches. A section of the media here has published reports alluding to this because of the rampant betting in the T20 League matches featuring the six franchisee teams.
Betting is illegal in Nepal. Ingenious betting cartels evade this law by taking online bets through cell phone Apps.
Media reports assert betting applications like Bet 365 and 1xBet take bets from punters on Nepal T20 League matches.
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According to a local news portal, "Photos from India show a betting code appearing during match broadcast on the FanCode app. This raises suspicions of fixed matches."
Cricket observers with knowledge on betting say the volume of illegal bets in CAN's first T20 venture could run into millions of rupees.
Gyanendra Malla, the captain of Kathmandu Knights, revealed that one of his teammates was offered to fix a match.
"We don't know about other teams, but one of the players in our squad had been approached. We've already reported the matter to the ACU (Anti-Corruption Unit)," the former Nepali natiional team skipper told Desh Sanchar.
CAN's reputation is at stake if security agencies find out and confirm match-fixing. CAN's Indian partner Seven3Sports "has registration in India to do legal betting". The Company Registrar's Office has registered this company in Nepal. The National Sports Council had rejected its registration.
CAN member Chumbi Lama claimed that he and a few other members had suggested to the association's executives that the competition be held under the CAN's umbrella with the title 'Nepal Premier League'.
"We even suggested to the executives that CAN should invite international companies to bid in an open way. But those ideas were turned down," Lama said.
Seven3Sports has signed a commercial and strategic partnership agreement with the CAN to run the Nepal T20 League. The company describes itself "as a sports company that owns and delivers Sports Media Rights". It has its head office in Gurgaon, London, and the United Arab Emirates.
Media reports say Seven3Sports CEO Jatin Ahluwalia has gone back to India after reports of match-fixing emerged.
The Team page of www.seven3sports.com website lists Jatin Ahluwalia as founder. Its Services page says, "S3 covers media rights distribution, development of global sports leagues along with their syndication."
Reports published by newspapers and agencies on Ahluwalia's company identify him as Founder and CEO. The company has not updated its website since 2020. It does not show much information, barring the founder's achievements and another executive Abhishek Saklani career details.
Seven3Sports had signed a six-year sub-licensing contract in 2013 with MultiScreen Media to broadcast IPL matches in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh till 2018.
In 2013 the company held media rights of IPL, French Open tennis, India-Zimbabwe cricket series and FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifying matches. The same year in August, the company signed a deal with Ten Sports to buy the mobile phone rights licence of US Open tennis.
