Four tennis table players banned after UKGC probe

An investigation backed UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) led to the banning of four players from the ranks of Table Tennis England (TTE).

Named as Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira and Kazeem Adeleke, the four table tennis players stood before the Disciplinary Committee, accused of breaching TTE Anti-Corruption Regulations in matches dating back to 2020.

UKGC’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) launched a probe into several events in Ukraine after UK-licensed operators submitted reports of suspicious betting activity from accounts based in Britain. 

The scope of the investigation later significantly expanded, involving various stakeholders such as TTE and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, said: “This case highlights the importance of global collaboration in protecting the integrity of sport. Over the past five years, stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions have worked together to investigate and address concerns around match-fixing.

“This demonstrates that safeguarding sport is a shared responsibility, and those who seek to manipulate outcomes face increasing scrutiny. The message is clear, integrity in sport matters, and efforts to uphold it will continue.”

In terms of the individual sanctions, Knight was suspended for six years, Adeleke for five, Langham-Ferreira for three, while Savill received an indefinite suspension with a minimum of six years.

All players except Savill can appeal TTE’s decision until 8 April 2025.

Table tennis remains a widely targeted sport for match fixing, likely due to the number of participants and the lower financial prizes available to participants in comparison to more valuable sports.

The sport regularly appears in integrity reports published by the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). In its most recent report the sport ranked third for suspicious alerts at 36 in 2024.