Corruption trial begins for Vietnam star footballers

Seven former members of Vietnam's national football team have gone on trial for alleged match-fixing at the South East Asian Games a year ago. The defendants include popular striker Pham Van Quyen and midfielder Le Quoc Vuong, as well as former Saigon Port club player Truong Tan Hai. They are accused of taking bribes of 20 million dong (US$1,300) from bookmakers to ensure they won a semi-final match against Myanmar by 1-0. The players could face a lengthy jail sentence if found guilty of the charge of organised gambling. The trial is due to end on Friday. Hundreds of reporters, relatives and fans descended on the court in Ho Chi Minh city to hear the details of the case, the BBC reported.