Four players banned by Table Tennis England over betting scandal

Four members of Table Tennis England (TTE) have received a suspension due to match-fixing issues and betting irregularities. 

The Gambling Commission has confirmed the sanctions meted out to Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira, and Kazeem Adekele following a “complex international investigation”. 

All four players have been banned from playing after breaches of Table Tennis England’s Anti-Corruption Regulations. 

British players Knight and Langham-Ferreira have been hit with six and three-year punishments, respectively, while Nigerian talent Adeleke faces a five-year ban. 

The former Australian professional Savill has been banned indefinitely by TTE.

All four individuals have been advised of their fate, following an appearance at the governing body’s Disciplinary Committee. 

They have until 8 April 2025 to appeal the decision.

The Gambling Commission launched a probe after a tip-off concerning “’unusual and suspicious betting activity from licensed operators on matches held in Ukraine in 2020” that were linked back to British betting accounts.

In partnership with TTE and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), a thorough investigation was conducted by the UK regulator. 

Four players suspended for being a party to fixing matches. One of them received an indefinite suspension. This was a complex investigation that had an international reach and involved multiple agencies. https://t.co/8ybHka9u0o

— Steve Richardson (@Steve_Rich100) March 18, 2025

Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the Gambling Commission, stated: 

“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.”

He continued, “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.” 

Table Tennis England Chief Executive 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 code of conduct.

The update follows a similar situation in darts with English-Indian player Prakash Jiwa banned until 2031 for involvement in a match-fixing ring.  

The 54-year-old was found guilty of fixing four matches across two separate meetings in 2023, and betting on other games.

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