As the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PGL Major Antwerp continues in Belgium, a former pro player has blown the whistle on a potential match-fixing scheme involving a former major champion.
Rustam “5TRYK#R” Alimkulov has alleged that in 2015, he and his teammates on Party–a non-sponsored team which included 2017 Krakow major champion Abay “HObbit” Khasenov–engaged in a match-fixing scheme. The team, according to the allegation, would purposely lose the first round of three straight matches in a qualifier for their home region’s Minor Championship series and bet on the results. Alimkulov further alleges that the bets would have earned each player $5,000 if they were allowed, but the bookkeeper denied them.
I have never been involved in match-fixing.
Fully prepared to assist in @ESIC_Official investigation.All that i have achieved, i earned with my hard work and perseverance. My reputation is above all to me.
— Abay Khassenov (@HObbitcsgo) May 16, 2022
Alimkulov presented multiple pieces of evidence as proof of his allegations, including chat logs between Khasenov and himself, Teamspeak recordings, in-game commentary during the matches allegedly affected, and screenshots of the bookkeeper’s website. Khasenov denied the allegations via Twitter, saying, “I have never been involved in match-fixing. Fully prepared to assist in @ESIC_Official investigation.”
Khasenov was the only player from Party to find mainstream success in CS:GO, winning the aforementioned 2017 PGL Major Krakow with Russia’s Gambit Esports. He is currently signed with Cloud9 and competing in the ongoing PGL Major Antwerp.
Source: Gamespot
