A Dota 2 team consisting of several former match-fixers secured their spot in the Malaysia Esports League (MESL) Grand Finals last weekend.
Highground emerged victorious in the Melaka qualifying round to stand a chance to win a slice of a RM500,000 prize pool.
However, the team raised eyebrows because four of the members, namely Goh "MoZuN-" Choo Jian, Kok "ddz" Yi Liong, Kelvin "MtR" Chong and Fua "Lance" Hsien Wan, were caught involved in a match-fixing scandal in 2014, which saw them being banned from all Valve competitions.
Despite their match-fixing past, MESL director of operation Leon Lee explained it should not prevent them from entering the tournament.
"We have been looking into this matter even before the MESL was officially announced," Lee told Stadium Astro.
"Mineski Events Team (MET) Malaysia decided to lift the ban and offer these players a pardon for them to participate in the MESL.
"These players are vastly talented and they have repented and regretted their past actions, so we feel that they should deserve a second chance."
Lee also added that the MESL has zero tolerance for match-fixing and will not hesitate to take action against those committing the offence.
"An individual or a team found allegations of match-fixing will be banned from the MESL and all MET esports tournaments," he said.
"We will have our fraud prevention team proactively monitoring betting patterns for any suspicious betting patterns and odds fluctuations."
Other teams to qualify for the Grand Finals at the time of writing are 818' Reverse Heaven, Fire Dragoon and Penang winner PenangHunter.
Seng Foo Lee
Thu Sep 14 2017
Kejohanan E-Sukan Komanwel: Skuad Dota 2 wanita negara ke grand final
Malaysia memastikan akan ada kilauan pingat dalam Kejohanan E-Sukan Komanwel selepas pasukan Dota 2 wanita negara layak ke pusingan grand final di Birmingham hari ini.
Chelsea Women 0-2 Barcelona Femeni (1-2 agg): Holders reach Champions League final again
Emma Hayes will not head to the United States as a Champions League winner after Chelsea suffered semi-final heartache against Barcelona.
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Stuttgart: Last-gasp equaliser preserves champions' unbeaten run
Robert Andrich scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Bayer Leverkusen kept their remarkable unbeaten run going.
Madrid Open: Nadal roars to victory against De Minaur
As his return from injury continues, Rafael Nadal showed glimpses of his best in an impressive win, while Jannik Sinner also progressed.
Everton 1-0 Brentford: Toffees join Bees in ensuring Premier League status
There will be no nerve-shredding end to the Premier League season for Everton, who have joined Brentford in securing safety.
Juventus 0-0 Milan: Goalless draw ensures Rossoneri retain grip on second
Despite not managing a shot on target, Milan maintained their five-point lead over third-placed Juventus with a 0-0 draw in Turin.
‘Too many draws have cost us’ – De Zerbi
Brighton and Bournemouth meet on Sunday, with both sides still looking to make a late bid for a place in the top seven.
Babar's captain's innings leads Pakistan to victory as series drawn with New Zealand
Babar Azam's 69-run effort led Pakistan to a nine-run victory in Lahore, one that ensures they draw the T20I series with New Zealand.
Sporting CP boss Amorim apologises for holding West Ham talks
Ruben Amorim has confirmed he held negotiations with West Ham this week, apologising to fans of his current club Sporting CP.
Wilder laments "complete lack of leadership" as Blades' relegation confirmed
Chris Wilder feels a lack of leadership was to blame as Sheffield United were condemned to the Championship with defeat on Saturday.
Huddersfield Town all but relegated from Championship while League Two play-off fate is decided
Huddersfield Town failed to get a vital win over struggling Birmingham City, while League Two's final day cleared up the play-off picture.