The Big Fix (23 page)
Authors: Brett Forrest
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Appreciation chiefly goes to Chris Eaton, who alerted me to this essential issue, then expended the effort necessary to illuminate it; thanks also to Fred Lord and Javier Mena. Wilson Perumal earns my gratefulness for his courteous recollections. Without Oscar Brodkin and Darren Small, I would have slipped up while navigating
hang cheng.
Zai Mohamed graciously provided early general schooling.
This book began as original reporting for
ESPN The Magazine.
Commitment and imaginative input in Bristol shaped the notes into a worthy product. Thank you: Chad Millman, J. B. Morris, and Donnie Kwak.
The ideal agent, Joe Veltre, was vital in every aspect; thanks, Alice Lawson, for holding together the operation.
Adam Korn at William Morrow in New York. Rory Scarfe at HarperÂCollins in London. Indebted to you both for your patience and close attention to the manuscript.
As always, Robert Koenig was there with indispensable advice and guidance. Thanks are due to the following for further professional counsel: Megan Abbott, Neal Bascomb, David Friend, Rufus Fruit, Tony Romando, Christopher Stewart.
Thanks to Angus and James Roven, and to the Truesdales. Deep gratitude to Dad and Craig, the most dedicated readership. And a bow to Dashenka, for inopportune distraction.
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BRETT FORREST is a contributing writer for
ESPN The Magazine
and has written for
Vanity Fair, National Geographic,
the
Atlantic,
and the
New York Times Magazine.
He has lived in Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil.
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THE BIG FIX.
Copyright © 2014 by Brett Forrest. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Designed by Jamie Lynn Kerner
Photograph on title page © by Helder Almeida/Shutterstock, Inc.
Soccer player on chapter openers © by Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-06-230807-8
EPUB Edition May 2014 ISBN 9780062308092
14 15 16 17 18
OV/RRD
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*
Chaibou has denied any involvement in match-fixing. He retired from refereeing in December 2011.
*
Rushwaya has denied any wrongdoing. ZIFA fired her but she has never been convicted of any charges arising out of Perumal's account of their dealings.
*
Meganathan claims that while he knows Perumal, he has never been involved in match fixing, that he is a simple taxi driver in Singapore.