Tennis Integrity Unit Supervisory Board
Former Sport England CEO Jennie Price was appointed as the independent Chair of the Tennis Integrity Unit Supervisory Board in early February 2019. In addition to the Chair, the Board will consist of four other independent members and four representatives from the governing bodies of tennis. The selection of the four independent members is currently being finalised and the full Board will meet in person for the first time during the French Open at Roland Garros. Details of the independent member appointments will be announced in due course. The creation of a Tennis Integrity Unit Supervisory Board was a major governance recommendation of the Independent Review Panel Final Report.
TIU Education Update
During the first quarter of 2019 the TIU’s Education team developed and introduced a number of new initiatives for juniors, professional players, coaches and staff, as part of its drive to extend the scope and reach of anti-corruption education. These included:
working with Tennis Europe to deliver an educational video aimed at junior players which is now part of Tennis Europe’s Junior School education programme
TIU anti-corruption education content being incorporated into new modules of the recently launched ITF Academy
junior and professional players receiving ITF/Grand Slam Development Fund grants are now required to undertake TIU education as part of their contracts.
TIU integrity criteria have been included in the ITF Recognition of National Training Centres programme
the TIU app has been updated with push notifications capability to inform players and stakeholders of important rule changes and updates via direct notification to their mobile devices
TIU Match Alert Data: January to March 2019
During the first quarter of 2019, January to March inclusive, the TIU received a total of 21 match alerts through its confidential Memorandums of Understanding with the regulated betting industry.
20 of the 21 alerts related to matches played on the ATP Challenger and ITF World Tennis Tour (WTT) circuits. No alerts were received during the Australian Open or from the main ATP Tour. One alert was recorded on the WTA Tour. The Quarter 1 figure of 21 alerts is the lowest for any quarterly period since 2015, the first year for which data was made publicly available.
Match Alerts January to March 2019
|
Total Match Alerts |
Grand Slam |
ATP Tour |
WTA Tour |
ATP Challenger |
ITF WTT Men $15k |
ITF WTT Men $25k |
ITF WTT Women $15k |
ITF WTT Women $25k |
Hopman, Davis, Fed Cups |
|
21 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
TIU match alert policy
- every alert reported to the TIU is recorded, assessed and followed up as an indicator that something inappropriate may have happened. It is important to appreciate that an alert on its own is not evidence of match-fixing;
- there are many reasons other than corrupt activity that can explain unusual betting patterns, such as incorrect odds-setting; well-informed betting; player fitness, fatigue and form; playing conditions and personal circumstances;
- where analysis of a match alert does suggest corrupt activity, the TIU will conduct a full, confidential investigation.
Mark Fletcher joins TIU to bolster investigative resource
The TIU has added to its investigative resource with the appointment of former law enforcement officer Mark Fletcher. Mark joined the unit in February after a 27-year career as a detective with the Metropolitan Police in London. His service included 14 years as an officer in the Flying Squad, a division responsible for tackling serious organised crime. He becomes the eighth member of the TIU’s dedicated investigative team and 17th member of staff overall.
Disciplinary Sanctions January to March 2019
Between January and March 2019 five individuals received disciplinary sanctions for breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program; Cristobal Saveedra-Corvalan, Emmanuel Ikakah, Adimabua Iyorovbe, Mauricio Alvarez-Guzman and David Norfeldt.
Please note that these sanctions have previously been announced by the TIU and are included here as a retrospective record:
- www.tennisintegrityunit.com/media-releases/cristobal-saavedra-corvalan-suspended-and-fined-failing-co-operate-tiu-corruption-investigation
- www.tennisintegrityunit.com/media-releases/emmanuel-ikakah-suspended-and-fined-betting-tennis
- www.tennisintegrityunit.com/media-releases/adimabua-iyorovbe-suspended-and-fined-betting-tennis
- www.tennisintegrityunit.com/media-releases/mauricio-alvarez-guzman-banned-life-tennis-match-fixing-and-associated-corruption-offences
- www.tennisintegrityunit.com/media-releases/david-norfeldt-suspended-and-fined-betting-tennis
TIU Annual Review 2018
The TIU Annual Review 2018 was published in January 2019 and can be viewed and downloaded at www.tennisintegrityunit.com. Hard copies are available from Mark Harrison at mark.harrison@tennisintegritytunit.com.
Published 04 April 2019 15:00
