SINGAPORE: From the highs of the badminton court to the lows of the Subordinate Court - that is where former national coach and technical director Zheng Qingjin found himself on Thursday, charged with two counts of corruption.

The 64-year-old has been credited with Singapore badminton's revival and charting the career of ace player Ronald Susilo, a 2004 Athens Olympic quarter-finalist, as well as helping the women's team smash their way to the 2003 Southeast Asia Games team gold.

Zheng also clinched the 2004 Coach of the Year award, the first for the sport since the trophy's inception in 1969.

In court however, Zheng was accused of accepting S$3,000 on each of two occasions for recommending Mr You Guangli as the chief coach of the women's team.

Zheng told District Judge Danielle Yeow that he did not dispute the facts of the case, but insisted that the money had been "given to him voluntarily".

Investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau revealed that in November 2002, Zheng had recommended Mr You to the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) for the position of chief coach of the women's team.

The latter was subsequently offered a two-year contract that lasted until April 23, 2005. In exchange for the reference, Zheng accepted a sum of S$3,000 on 29 Jan, 2004.

He also pocketed another S$3,000 for helping to renew Mr You's contract for another two years the following February. Mr You is no longer with the association.

A pre-trial conference has been arranged on 13 Nov. Bail of S$8,000, which will be reviewed on Monday, was also extended.

A former doubles player who represented China from 1964 to 1976, Zheng joined the SBA as national coach in 1991. He then became the director of coaching in 1996 before rising to the post of technical director in 2002. He left the SBA last year after suffering a heart attack last October.

If convicted of both charges, Zheng could be fined up to S$100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both, for each charge.

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