Zulfadli Zulkifli was hailed as one of the brightest badminton stars when he won the Asian Junior and World Junior titles in 2011.
However, greed got the better of him and former national shuttler Tan Chun Seang when the duo was found guilty of match-fixing last year and was handed lengthy bans and hefty fines for match-fixing.
The Ethics Hearing Panel had on April 27, 2018, banned Zulfadli from competitive events and performing any role in badminton for 20 years and fined USD25,000. Chun Seang received a slightly lighter sentence – a 15-year ban and a fine of USD15,000.
Zulfadli was ranked 30th while Chun Seang was ranked No 32.
The duo had appealed to the Court of Arbitration on the sentence with hopes of a lighter sentence or even winning their case outright.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF), however, on Monday confirmed that CAS has thrown out the appeals of the two Malaysians, virtually ending their badminton career.
In a statement, BWF said: “The BWF is satisfied that CAS has come to the same conclusions as to the independent Ethics Hearing Panel in rendering its decision on the appeal.”
The duo was found guilty of match-fixing in six different tournaments throughout the world from 2013 to 2014.
The year 2011 was the year when Zulfadli became a household in the badminton world when he won the Asian and world junior titles.
He defeated Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 for the world junior title in Taipei and India’s Sameer Verma 21-15, 21-17 for the Asian junior title in Lucknow. Zulfadli also beat Sameer 21-16, 17-21, 21-15 for the Commonwealth Youth Games gold medal in the Isle of Man.
