Four table tennis players handed match-fixing suspensions following GC investigation
Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira and Kazeem Adeleke sanctioned with three- to six-year bans by Table Tennis England
Four table tennis players have been suspended from the sport following a “complex international investigation” involving the Gambling Commission (GC), the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Table Tennis England (TTE).
Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira and Kazeem Adeleke were found to have breached the TTE Anti-Corruption Regulations relating to betting on table tennis matches.
The investigation began when TTE received a report from the GC’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) detailing a high volume of unusual betting activity.
The activity surrounded table tennis matches which took place in Ukraine in 2020 and was linked to British betting accounts.
Ukrainian table tennis was one of the few sports that continued to take place during the pandemic as sporting events across the globe came to a screeching halt due to lockdowns, with betting activity on the sport spiking as a result.
The investigation uncovered Savill was involved in the fixing of table tennis matches played in Ukraine in 2020.
He also was involved in betting on table tennis matches between 2018 and 2020 and failed to disclose his knowledge of betting on fixed matches, in addition to failing to cooperate with a TTE inquiry.
Both Knight and Langham-Ferreira were accused of the same misconduct as Savill, while Adeleke was reprimanded solely for betting on table tennis matches between 2018 and 2020.
TTE defines a breach of its Anti-Corruption Regulations as “participation in, support for, or promotion of, any form of betting related to a competition including betting with another person on the result, progress, outcome, conduct or any other aspect of such competition”.
Taking part in any form of betting on table tennis is also a breach of TTE’s general disciplinary regulations.
TTE’s Disciplinary Committee handed both Savill and Knight a minimum six-year suspension from the sport before review. Adeleke received a five-year ban, while Langham-Ferreira was given a three-year sanction.
The players in question will be prohibited from taking part in any table tennis activity organised by TTE at any level, including coaching, spectating and umpiring. All four players have until 8 April 2025 to appeal the decision.
TTE said the sanctions were linked to a high-profile criminal case in Australia involving Australian table tennis player Adam Green, who admitted to placing more than 1,100 bets on fixed matches in Ukraine.
Green’s case was closed in September 2024. He avoided jail despite winning A$473,000 for himself and overseas associates on the fixed matches.
A district court judge in Australia ordered Green be placed on a three-year intensive correction order, complete 100 hours of community service and not have any betting account for three years, as per the Guardian.
Knight previously represented England at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, as well as being a reserve for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Savill played for England at junior level in the past, winning the under-21 national title in March 2020.
Langham-Ferreira competed at multiple senior national championships, while Adeleke was a former British League competitor.
GC CEO Andrew Rhodes 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.”
TTE CEO Sally Lockyer added: “We take our responsibilities as a governing body very seriously and ensure we fully investigate any claims of breaches of regulations or codes of conduct.
“This was a complex case with international connections. We worked in conjunction with the ITTF’s Integrity Unit, SBIU, authorities in Australia and experienced consultants to ensure all facts were presented to the disciplinary committee, and we would like to thank the panel for their consideration of the case.”