Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s World No. 50 Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin is facing a one-time 50 percent fine of his monthly allowance for smoking in his hotel during the Thomas Cup Finals tournament that was held in Bangkok in May.
He was also made to pay the hotel’s fine of 3,000 baht (about RM367) for violating the hotel’s no-smoking rules.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has been strict and expected its players to conduct themselves in an exemplary way and are forbidden from gambling or smoking.
It was reported that Zulkarnain get caught smoking when BAM made a spot check in the hotel.
“The committee has sanctioned Iskandar Zulkarnain a one-time 50 percent fine of his monthly allowance,” said the BAM’s Rules, Discipline and Integrity Committee.
In BAM’s statement, it also stressed that the organization would monitor its players and has made it compulsory that BAM players needed to undergo nicotine tests from time to time.
Zulkarnain’s punishment came a month after two Malaysian players were hit with career-ending bans of 20 and 15 years respectively when they were found guilty of match-fixing.
