The Malaysian Insider :: Books
The Malaysian Insider :: Books |
| Book Review – The big fix: the hunt for the match-fixers bringing down soccer Posted: 26 May 2014 06:23 PM PDT Such is the context of Brett Forrest's "The big fix: the hunt for the match-fixers bringing down soccer". Forrest speaks of match-fixing as a transnational epidemic that has its claws buried deep within the sport, and he tells the story through two of the fixing world's most prolific characters: Singaporean fixer Wilson Raj Perumal and his nemesis Chris Eaton, director of sports integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, an international non-profit organisation based in Doha, Qatar. Forrest starts his expose with the infamous 2011 Kuwait-Jordan match at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, "a never before had Fifa conducted a counter-fixing operation in real time" account. Then it's a biographical construct of Perumal – the man for whom "the Chinese stood out most of all" in the betting arena – and Eaton, the Australian who's "a determined cop… a disinclined politician". Then a plot is laid out, setting these two characters on a chase scene a la "Catch Me If You Can", the 2002 film biopic of Frank W. Abagnale, the prolific con artist. Pit stops come in bits of exposition on match-fixing, covering topics from hang cheng, the Asian betting system, to the role of Fifa in curbing the epidemic on a transnational scale. There are also the locations for these events, many of them ranging from Finland to Malaysia, which of course would pique the curiosity of readers. It goes without saying that Forrest's choice of Eaton and Perumal are on the money. He is, after all, a contributing writer at ESPN's The Magazine. And the way Forrest weaves these two characters into the bigger picture of match-fixing makes it a page-turner, better than that of Declan Hill's "The Insider's Guide to Match-Fixing in Football", which is a good book by the way. How much Eaton loathes Perumal can be seen in YouTube video "Who is Wilson Raj Perumal", where he speaks of the Singaporean as "the most notorious match-fixer today… who shows a lack of fear". In the "The big fix", his quotes are much stronger. As for Perumal, not only has he been convicted of match-fixing, he has embarked on a crusade to inform the world of his role behind key matches in various leagues. Then there's that newly-released autobiography by him and Alessandro Righi, "Kelong Kings: Confessions of the world's most prolific match-fixer". And also allegations that he was fixing matches while under detention, ironically, in Hungary. Continuing on Perumal, Forrest provides a decent amount of room for him to develop through the plot of "The big fix". There are even exchanges between Eaton and Perumal, where Perumal questions Eaton on the logic of Fifa organising the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – this space to the book's black hat in providing thought-provoking questions is credit to Forrest's ability as an author. The only issue with the "The big fix", certainly beyond the control of the author, is its hefty price tag. Coming at RM112.22, sport aficionados may not be willing to burn a hole in their pocket for a 280-page hardcover. So here's to wishing for a paperback version and a much lighter price tag. It's an enjoyable read, and it would be a bummer if it all boiled down to pricing, really. Brett Forrest's "The big fix: the hunt for the match-fixers bringing down soccer" is published by HarperCollins and is available at select bookstores. – May 27, 2014. |
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