MUMBAI, Nov 23: Air-India manager Bimal Ghosh called for stern measures to prevent match-fixing in Indian soccer.

Ghosh chose not to attend tonight's farcical goalless encounter between Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan that sent his team out of the competition. Ghosh's presence would have been necessary had Churchill lost 1-2.

When informed of the result and the nature of tonight's encounter, Ghosh said: ``Match commissioners and referees must be empowered to call off a match should it appear fixed. `A tribunal must then be set up to take erring teams to task.''

The topic of match-fixing perturbs Ghosh in light of a sensational defeat to Mumbai rivals Mahindras in the National League preleminaries in Goa last season. A 3-1 win in the concluding league match had seen Mahindras through to the next stage.

``We played our hearts out even though we lost. But both Shivdas (Mahindras' coach) and myself were subjected to the humiliation of a probe,'' Ghosh said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.