TIU Prohibits Play of Bulgarian Sibling Tennis Players
Two Bulgarian tennis siblings, Karen and Yuri Khachatryan, have been slapped with severe punishments by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) for engaging in betting manipulation and illegal match-fixing. The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has reported a surge in suspicious betting activities during the third quarter. What are the developments in depth?
Lifetime Ban and Heavy Fines
The threat of betting manipulation in the world of gambling is undeniable today. This is evident in the case of two Bulgarian tennis siblings, Karen and Yuri Khachatryan, who have been penalized by the ITF's integrity department for bribery, betting manipulation, and illegal match-fixing.
The duration of the bans varies. For Karen Khachatryan, a tennis player ranked 2,514th in the ITF world rankings, it is for life and he must pay a fine of EUR 250,000. He was suspended from all tournaments since the investigation began in June 2019. For Yuri Khachatryan, ranked 3,126th in the rankings, the ban is for ten years, and he is required to pay a fine of EUR 50,000.
Multiple TIU Violations
Karen Khachatryan was found guilty of fixation in five matches and was also charged with sabotaging other players' performances in nine instances, discouraging them from delivering their best. In addition, he constantly refused to collaborate with the TIU during the probes, which is reflected in the severity of the penalty.
On the other hand, Yuri Khachatryan was indicted for corrupt strategies towards other players. He is also believed to have aided players in playing specific matches. This reportedly included tampering with game tools. He was also found guilty of betting on match outcomes, a severe infringement of the rules.
Following the lifetime ban imposed on Youssef Hossam in May and Gerard Joseph Platero Rodriguez's four-year ban in October, Karen and Yuri Khachatryan are the third and fourth tennis players to be banned for fraudulent betting activities. According to the TIU, these players violated the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), which forbids betting on tennis and encouraging others to do so, as well as attempting to affect match outcomes by engaging in corrupt approaches.
Rising Concerns Over Match-fixing in Tennis
In August, Europol released a warning about illegal match-fixing across multiple sports, including tennis. Soccer and tennis, in particular, have witnessed an alarming increase in corruption, with structuring and match-fixing spiking in recent years. In 2016, only 11 matches were rigged; in 2017, the number swelled to 236, while it dipped slightly to 191 in 2018.
The IBIA confirmed this trend by releasing alarming figures from the third quarter of 2020. It noted a 52% increase in suspected cases. Soccer and tennis accounted for two-thirds of the reports, with a total of 76 allegations. Regarding tennis, the IBIA's Secretary-General, Khalid Ali, explained the spike by referencing the temporary shutdown of professional sports due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There was a 31% rise in cases compared to the second quarter of 2020. Ali attributed this to the lockdown period, in which 25 reports were registered for both tennis and soccer, with both sports making up 66% of all registered cases. Moreover, 14 reports were identified in relation to eSports, seven for table tennis, two for basketball, and one for cricket. The IBIA revealed that the increase in cases was linked to the rising number of members. Ali added that the number of reports would broadly follow the increase in IBIA's membership.
Europol found that the majority of the fraud occurred in Europe, accounting for 34 of the 76 reports. Of those, 13 involved tennis, 11 soccer, seven table tennis, and two each for boccia and cricket. The most reports were recorded in Russia, where six incidents were reported. There were four each in Ukraine and Germany.
TIU is pledging to maintain a zero-tolerance stance against match-fixing with regards to tennis, appointing a legal director, Ben Rutherford, a few days ago. Rutherford is an anti-corruption expert with experience managing World Rugby's integrity program for several years and serving as a lawyer at the law firm DLA Piper and as a clerk at the Australian Supreme Court.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
