Hall of Shame

The Diack controversy is merely the latest in a long list of scandals that have plagued the world of sports over the years. SS takes a look at some of them, in no particular order.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Secrets: Golf

Once upon a time, Tiger Woods was golf’s poster boy, one of its most succesful exponents ever and well down the road to becoming the greatest ever in the sport. Then, his perfect world came crashing down in 2009, when reports spread about his infidelity, labelling him a sex-addict. Woods on-field displays have never been the same since returning to action in 2010.

Dirty Lance-ing: Cycling

Armstrong was long hailed as a miracle. But in 2012, a US Anti-Doping Agency investigation named him as ringleader of “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program sport has ever seen.” He was stripped of all his titles and banned from sports for life.

Caught in a Fix: Cricket

In 2000, Delhi Police intercepted a telephone conversation between a blacklisted bookie and then South Africa skipper Hansie Cronje. Investigations revealed that then India skipper Mohammad Azharuddhin and Ajay Jadeja were also involved in the mess. In 2010, Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of spot-fixing.

To Dope or Not: Athletics

Athletics has almost always been mired in one doping controversy or the other. The list of athletes who have failed drug tests range from elites like Yohan Blake and Canadian Olympic gold medallist Ben Johnson to relatively low-profile ones like the India relay quartet that won the 2010 CWG gold.

The Beauitful Game’s

Ugly side: football In May 2015, FIFA was gearing up for an annual general body meet when Swiss and American officials carried out an early-morning raid on the host hotel and a separate raid on its headquarters, arresting several of the its vice-presidents. The controversy led to FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini being suspended. 

When in Rome: Football

Several Seria A and Serie B teams were accused of rigging games by influencing referees in the 2006 Calciopoli. The scandal saw the relegation of Juventus, while clubs like AC Milan, Fiorentina, Reggina and Lazio were punished. This was hardly the first scandal to plague Italian football, as the 1980 Totonero saw several high profile footballers, punished for accepting bribes.

Winter is Coming: IOC

in 1998, members of the IOC were accused of taking bribes from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) during the bidding process for the 2002 Winter Olympics, resulting in the expulsion of ten IOC members.

Spy and Mighty: Formula One

The biggest scandal to hit the sport, former Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney was accussed of passing on critical details of the team’s 2007 car to McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan. It resulted in a criminal investigation by the Modena district attorney in Italy. The FIA later handed down several penalties for McLaren. The eight-time constructors champions was excluded from the constructors’ standings and slapped with a record fine of $100 million.

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