Greek tournament director will serve a 16 month suspension and pay $3,000 fine
Greek tournament director Antonis Kalaitzakis has been suspended for 20 months and fined $6,000 after admitting to betting on tennis and failing to report knowledge of, or suspicion of corruption, to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).
Four months of the suspension and $3,000 of the fine are suspended on condition that no further breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) are committed.
A TIU investigation established that Mr Kalaitzakis held online betting accounts through which he placed 127 wagers on tennis between 2013 and 2016, in breach of the explicit prohibition on any form of betting on tennis contained in the TACP.
In addition to the betting offences, he was also found to have failed to report knowledge or suspicion of corruption by a third party to the TIU.
The disciplinary case was adjudicated by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Jane Mulcahy QC. Her findings of guilt and subsequent sanction means that with effect from 16 July 2020, Mr Kalaitzakis is prohibited from officiating in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis for a period of 16 months.
Mr Kalaitzakis, 37, is a tournament director for ITF events held in Greece.
The relevant Sections of the TACP covering the breaches are as follows:
Section D.1.a - No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, wager or attempt to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of any Event or any other tennis competition.
Section D.2.b.ii - In the event any Related Person or Tournament Support Person knows or suspects that any Covered Person or other individual has committed a Corruption Offense, it shall be the Related Person’s or Tournament Support Person’s obligation to report such knowledge or suspicions to the TIU as soon as possible.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam Board, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to betting-related corruption in professional tennis.
Published 16 July 2020 16:00
