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Coach in bribe case fined $20,000

PLEADING for leniency after admitting to accepting a $3,000 bribe, former national badminton coach Zheng Qinjin (picture) on Friday said that media coverage of his case had made him depressed because he felt it ought not to overshadow his many accomplishments on the badminton court.

But District Judge Jasvender Kaur, while noting Zheng's sporting achievements, said his act of asking to be rewarded for helping a friend get a job was "deplorable".

Sentencing him to a $20,000 fine, Judge Kaur added: "This is a serious offence … (the fine) has to be substantial to mark the gravity of the offence."

Zheng, 64, was also ordered to pay another $6,000 as a penalty for accepting the kickback in 2004.

His legal woes started in 2002 when he recommended Mr You Guangli, a China national, to the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) for the position of chief coach of the women's team.

As technical director, Zheng was in charge of eight national coaches as well as the recruitment of trainers. The court heard, he had planned to negotiate a good deal for Mr You on condition of a financial reward.

Mr You was offered a two-year contract with the SBA in 2003, and on Jan 29, 2004, he paid Zheng $3,000 for the reference.

Another corruption charge was also taken into consideration in Zheng's sentencing. He had pocketed another $3,000 for helping to renew Mr You's contract in February 2005.

After the charges were read, Zheng said he was repentant and appealed for a light sentence as jail time would "leave a stigma and impede any chances of working in the badminton world".

Zheng, named Coach of the Year in 2004, has been credited with Singapore badminton's resurgence.

A former doubles player who represented China from 1964 to 1976, he moved here to become the national coach in 1991 and rose to the post of technical director in 2002.

Zheng helped to train 2004 Athens Olympic quarter-finalist Ronald Susilo while aiding the women's team to clinch the gold at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games.

He left his post last year citing health reasons.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/229679.asp