Defiant Higgins vows to fight 'fixing' charges
Source: Agencies |
May 4, 2010, Tuesday
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WORLD No. 1 John Higgins has said he faces "the biggest match of my life" after being suspended over claims he agreed to take a huge bribe in return for fixing games.
Britain's News of the World on Sunday released a video showing what it said was Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney agreeing to lose frames in four matches later this year in return for a 300,000-euro (US$400,000) bribe.
The news sent shockwaves through the snooker world and cast a shadow over the World Championship final, which was starting in Sheffield, northern England, on the day the bribery allegations emerged.
But Higgins vehemently denied the claims and said: "Today is the start of the biggest match of my life.It's not the World Championship that's at stake, it's something even more important, my reputation.
"I have never been involved in any form of snooker match-fixing."
Snooker's governing body suspended the three-time world champion from all its tournaments pending a probe in the wake of the claims, warning he could face a long ban.
Barry Hearn, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, said the world's top snooker player was in tears when he spoke to him on the phone about the claims.
He added Higgins's "whole career is in doubt" if the allegations are found to be true.
In a statement, Higgins insisted his conscience was "100 percent clear" and said he had been "very worried" about the discussion reported by the paper, which took place in Kiev, Ukraine.
"When it was suggested that I throw frames in return for large sums of money, I was really spooked. I just wanted to get out of the hotel and on to the plane home," he said. "I didn't know if this was the Russian mafia or who we were dealing with. At that stage I felt the best course of action was just to play along with these guys and get out of Russia."
A secretly shot video posted on the News of the World's Website appeared to show Higgins discussing losing frames and missing shots during a meeting with Mooney and an undercover reporter.
There is no suggestion that Higgins has thrown any matches up until now and the footage apparently indicates that any deal would apply to the "world series only."
At the Crucible in Sheffield, Australia's Neil Robertson battled back from 3-5 down to open up a 9-7 lead over Scot Graeme Dott after the first day of the final on Sunday.
Britain's News of the World on Sunday released a video showing what it said was Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney agreeing to lose frames in four matches later this year in return for a 300,000-euro (US$400,000) bribe.
The news sent shockwaves through the snooker world and cast a shadow over the World Championship final, which was starting in Sheffield, northern England, on the day the bribery allegations emerged.
But Higgins vehemently denied the claims and said: "Today is the start of the biggest match of my life.It's not the World Championship that's at stake, it's something even more important, my reputation.
"I have never been involved in any form of snooker match-fixing."
Snooker's governing body suspended the three-time world champion from all its tournaments pending a probe in the wake of the claims, warning he could face a long ban.
Barry Hearn, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, said the world's top snooker player was in tears when he spoke to him on the phone about the claims.
He added Higgins's "whole career is in doubt" if the allegations are found to be true.
In a statement, Higgins insisted his conscience was "100 percent clear" and said he had been "very worried" about the discussion reported by the paper, which took place in Kiev, Ukraine.
"When it was suggested that I throw frames in return for large sums of money, I was really spooked. I just wanted to get out of the hotel and on to the plane home," he said. "I didn't know if this was the Russian mafia or who we were dealing with. At that stage I felt the best course of action was just to play along with these guys and get out of Russia."
A secretly shot video posted on the News of the World's Website appeared to show Higgins discussing losing frames and missing shots during a meeting with Mooney and an undercover reporter.
There is no suggestion that Higgins has thrown any matches up until now and the footage apparently indicates that any deal would apply to the "world series only."
At the Crucible in Sheffield, Australia's Neil Robertson battled back from 3-5 down to open up a 9-7 lead over Scot Graeme Dott after the first day of the final on Sunday.
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