Snooker champion John Higgins in 'bribe' allegation - 撞球

Snooker champion John Higgins in 'bribe' allegation

世界冠軍John Higgins涉嫌打假球



Snooker world number one John Higgins has reportedly agreed to take a ￡261,000
bribe to lose frames in four separate matches later this year.

目前世界排名第一的John Higgins涉嫌同意以英鎊261,000的價錢，在今年接下來的某四場
比賽中打假球。

The News of the World says it has video of Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney
making a deal in Ukraine on Friday.

某媒體(The News of the World)宣稱他們掌握了一捲錄影帶，內容是星期五那天Higgins
跟他經紀人Pat Mooney，在烏克蘭完成此項交易。

Mr Mooney is quoted as saying they feared for their safety at the time.There is
no suggestion Higgins has ever thrown a frame or fixed a match.

Mooney擔心他們的安危。因為Higgins還沒有打過任何假球!!!

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said an investigation had been launched.

世界司諾克主席Barry Hearn表示已展開調查。



'Massive blow'

出大包

He told BBC Radio 5 live he would decide whether to suspend the player within
the next 24 hours.

將在24小時內決定是否將Higgins禁賽。

He said he was "absolutely mortified" and the story had come as a "huge shock".

主席說這是莫大恥辱，真是太超過了。

Mr Mooney is reported to have told the News of the World:"You have no idea what
the circumstances were in Kiev, that's why I have no comment.

Mooney放話:你不了解基輔(烏克蘭首都)的潛規則，我不想變消波塊所以我不能再說了，

"But we were genuinely in fear for our safety."

真的相當擔心我們的安危。

The paper says three-time world champion Higgins refused to comment.Neither
Higgins nor Mr Mooney has commented since the publication of the story.

從出事後Higgins跟Mooney都三緘其口。

It alleges the sports star inquired at the meeting about the best ways to
conceal the 300,000 euros ($398,000) to be received.

據稱Higgins曾在交易中提問，如何安全的得到300,000歐元不被發現。


Expansion plans

可能遭禁賽

In a published transcript, Higgins, 34, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, says it
would be easy to affect the outcome of a frame so syndicates could place bets.

某新聞稿補刀，球星打假球，不知情的人輸到脫褲。

Many bookmakers now offer the option of betting on individual frames.

現今有很多比賽每一局都可下注。

Mr Mooney is a board member of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker
Association (WPBSA), whose commercial arm is World Snooker.

Mooney是世界花式撞球暨司諾克組織的委員之一，主要負責司諾克業務。

Mr Hearn, a promoter, recently proposed an overhaul of the sport including rule
changes and boxing-style introductions for the players.

主席Hearn志在推廣，目前更計畫要把規則定的更好，並且想把球員個個都改造成大明星。

He told the BBC: "I'm absolutely mortified by it [the story]. I've known John
Higgins for a long long time.

主席說Higgins成名已久，但這包袱我背不動。

"Pat Mooney is a co-director of the WPBSA, the governing body of snooker, and
it's come as just a huge shock and obviously an enormous blow to the integrity
of the sport which is vital as everyone knows for the expansion plans we have.

Pat Mooney也是組織的執行之一，也屬司諾克部門，自己出包又連累了這項運動，不但推
展不成，接下來的計畫可能即將胎死腹中。

"So it's really been a shattering experience at this moment in time and one
that will be obviously immediately looked into by our disciplinary people under
the WPBSA rules."

這可怕的事件發生後，我們會依組織規範立即展開調查。

He said the newspaper allegations had forced him to consider his plans for the
sport.

媒體讓主席得好好想想司諾克的未來。

"I want to meet with the players on Wednesday anyway to discuss it. And this is
now top of the agenda," he said.

星期三我會跟球員們談談，這是目前最重要的事。

The World Snooker Championship final begins in Sheffield later.

今年世界盃冠軍決賽稍後即將展開。

Higgins, who was made an MBE in 2008 and is married with three children, is the
current world champion and provisional world number one and has won a total of
21 ranking titles.

2008年封爵，已婚育有三個小孩。去年拿下世界杯冠軍，目前世界排名第一，生涯拿過21
次排名賽冠軍。

He was unexpectedly knocked out of the current tournament in the second round
by veteran Steve Davis.

預計第二輪比賽中Higgins可以打敗老將Steve Davis。(比賽結果Higgins 2:6 Davis)


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