Malaysian badminton player denies fixing

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian badminton player hit with a career-ending 20-year ban rejected allegations of match-fixing Friday and said he will appeal, claiming he was involved in a spot of casino gambling but not corruption. Former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 25, was banned this week and fined $25,000 after the sport’s world governing body ruled that he had engaged in corrupt practices dating back to 2013. A second Malaysian player, Tan Chun Seang, 31, was barred for 15 years and fined $15,000. The bans came after the pair faced a Badminton World Federation (BWF) ethics hearing in Singapore in February. But at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Zulfadli insisted he was innocent: “I have in no way spoken about, let alone been involved in, match-fixing.” He said he planned to appeal, and called for support from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and country’s sports ministry in making his case.