Four members of Table Tennis England suspended over match fixing and unusual betting activity
Four members of Table Tennis England have been suspended over alleged match fixing and unusual betting activity, the Gambling Commission has announced.
Players Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira and Kazeem Adeleke have all been prevented from playing following a 'complex international investigation'.
The players have all appeared before the Disciplinary Committee for breaches of the TTE Anti-Corruption Regulations relating to betting on table tennis matches.
British players Knight, Savill and Langham-Ferreira were suspended alongside Nigerian star Adeleke.
Savill has been banned from the sport by Table Tennis England indefinitely and must not play for a minimum of six years, Knight has been sanctioned for six years, Adeleke for five years and Langham-Ferreira for three years.
Players under sanction may not take part in any table tennis activity organised by Table Tennis England, sit on any club committee, coach at any level or umpire or spectate at any event.
The Gambling Commission said it began an investigation after receiving reports of 'unusual and suspicious betting activity from licensed operators on matches held in Ukraine in 2020' that were linked to British betting accounts.
The Commission conducted a probe in collaboration with stakeholders including Table Tennis England and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Briton Darius Knight, who won the silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games for England, has been sanctioned by Table Tennis England for six years
Savill has been banned from the sport by Table Tennis England indefinitely and must not play for a minimum of six years
The proceedings were linked to a high-profile criminal case in Australia involving former leading Australian player Adam Green, who admitted placing more than 1,100 bets on fixed matches in Ukraine. That case was concluded in September 2023.
It was alleged that Green would pass on the information about the fixed games on to Savill in the UK, who Table Tennis England said was 'a party to fixing table tennis matches played in Ukraine in 2020' as well as other matches from 2018, and failed to disclose his knowledge.
Knight was a reserve Team GB athlete for the London 2012 Olympic Games and represented England at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.
He was also accused by Table Tennis England of being a party to fixing table tennis matches played in Ukraine in 2020, being a party to betting on table tennis matches between 2018 and 2020, failing to disclose to TTE his knowledge of betting on fixed matches and failing to fully cooperate with the TTE enquiry.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Dehli, he came away with the silver medal for England.
He has won four Men's Doubles and three Mixed Doubles titles at the Senior National Championships.
Luke Savill represented England at Junior level, winning the Slovakian Junior Open in 2017. He also won the under-21s national title in March 2020.
Langham-Ferreira has competed at several national championships and has played regularly in the Senior British League, Premier Division, most recently for Drumchapel Glasgow and, before that, Brighton.
Langham-Ferreira has competed at several national championships and has played regularly in the Senior British League, Premier Division
The players have all appeared before the Disciplinary Committee for breaches of the TTE Anti-Corruption Regulations relating to betting on table tennis matches
The proceedings were linked to a high-profile criminal case in Australia involving former leading Australian player Adam Green (pictured), who admitted placing more than 1,100 bets on fixed matches in Ukraine
He was sanctioned for the same offences as Savill.
Adeleke, a Nigerian national, has competed in the British League, Premier Division for Fusion and also competed at the World Championships of Ping Pong at Alexandra Palace.
He was sanctioned for betting on table tennis matches between 2018 and 2020.
Knight previously made headlines as he chased Olympic glory after crediting table tennis with saving his life.
He told in 2008 how he quit his poverty-ridden and crime-laden background for the sport after witnessing two of his friends murdered.
He said: 'If it wasn't for table tennis, I might not be here now. I might be dead. I've seen what's happened to my friends and I know I'm lucky.
'I don't want sympathy and I know I have to be strong for myself. Table tennis has given me a life and I intend to make the most of it.'
He now has his own range of merchandise and more recently teamed up with sports brand Puma in November.
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.'
Kevin Carpenter, ITTF Head of Integrity and lead of the Integrity Unit, said: 'This has been a truly international conspiracy, engaging both sports disciplinary and the criminal law in multiple jurisdictions.
'Upholding the integrity of table tennis globally can only be achieved by collaboration between the ITTF Integrity Unit, table tennis stakeholders, most importantly national member associations, and outside agencies.
'This case has been proof of how those different bodies can work together effectively to tackle one of the preeminent threats to the sport in betting-related corruption, and we commend Table Tennis England for their commitment and perseverance in bringing it to a conclusion.'
The players have until 8 April 2025 to appeal the decision of the TTE Disciplinary Committee.
