ITIA follows up player ban with 16-year suspension for Bulgarian official
Chair umpire Stefan Milanov has been suspended for 16 years for 17 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program in latest punishment handed out by ITIA
The International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) has issued Bulgarian chair umpire Stefan Milanov with a 16-year suspension for breaching the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
Milanov was found to have breached the program on 17 occasions and was also issued a $75,000 (£58,976) fine by independent anti-corruption hearing officer Amani Khalifa.
The charges related to five matches that the Bulgarian oversaw in 2021.
The charges included five breaches of Section D.1.b of the 2021 TACP which relates to directly or indirectly facilitating any other person to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of an event.
Milanov also breached Section D.1.m of the 2021 TACP on five occasions relating to delaying or manipulating entry of scoring data from any event.
Milanov was also charged with five breaches of Section D.1.n of the 2021 TACP, which is agreeing to or conspiring to commit any corruption offence. He was also charged with two breaches of Section F.2.b of the 2023 TACP, which is the failure to cooperate with an ITIA investigation.
Milanov failed to respond to the charges by the ITIA and, according to the regulatory body’s opinion, effectively meant that he “admitted liability for all charges and acceded to sanctions”.
During the suspension, Milanov is prohibited from officiating at or attending any tennis event authorised by the members of ITIA, which included the ATP, ITF and USTA.
His suspension runs until midnight on 27 December 2039.
Milanov was previously found guilty of betting offences in 2022 and was issued a six-month suspension for those breaches.
This action follows the news that the ITIA issued French tennis player Leny Mitjana a 10-year ban and a $20,000 fine for 11 breaches of the TACP.