The Badminton World Federation announced the suspension of a prominent coach due to insider betting. The body emphasized its zero-tolerance policy regarding violations of its rules and encouraged the reporting of such misdeeds.

The Coach Was Seen Placing Bets During a Game

The Badminton World Federation named Joachim Persson as the penalized coach, saying that he had placed wagers on his mobile phone during an ongoing game. This violation of the federation’s rules happened at the 2024 Japan Open.

Like most sports, badminton prohibits insiders from placing wagers since they could have access to information regarding undisclosed player injuries or illnesses, providing them with an unfair edge over other bettors.

Persson’s misdemeanor was caught on camera by a player who confronted him about it, resulting in an expression of shock and emotion on Persson’s side. Investigators later understood that he had been using a proxy online betting account under a false name.

According to an earlier investigation, Persson placed nine wagers for a total of $807. Seven of those ended up being winning ones, netting him $1,522.

Persson Was Banned for 4 Years

Persson, who is a former athlete himself, served as the coach of four-time World Championship medalist Anders Antonsen. However, Antonsen fired Persson as his coach shortly after the latter was seen engaging in courtside betting.

The Badminton World Federation emphasized that, to make matters worse, Persson failed to cooperate with the investigation. To make matters worse, this wasn’t his first betting-related misdemeanor either – in 2019, he was banned for 18 months due to similar offenses.

After considering all factors and aggravated circumstances, the Badminton World Federation slammed Persson with a four-year ban. The federation emphasized that the decision highlights its zero-tolerance policy regarding violations of its rules.

This latest decision is a timely reminder that betting on badminton in any capacity will not be tolerated, as well as highlighting the importance of reporting such wrongdoing.

This comes amid an ongoing NBA scandal involving several well-known athletes and personalities.