The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that Baoluo Zheng, a Chinese tennis player has been banned for nine months and fined $5,000 (with $2,000 suspended) after admitting breaching the sport’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) rules. The 21-year-old player approached an opponent and offered money in return for deliberately losing a match at a tournament in Egypt in October 2022.
The case was dealt with under the 2022 TACP “agreed sanction” framework. This allows for a sanction to be handed down from the ITIA to the player upon admission of guilt, without the need for a hearing. The player’s suspension started on 27 October 2022, the date of the player’s provisional suspension, and will end on 26 July 2023. During this time the player is prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis.
The breaches of the TACP rules that Zheng admitted to are:
Section D.1.g of the 2022 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, offer or provide any money, benefit or Consideration to any other Covered Person with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event”
Section D.1.n of the 2022 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, attempt, agree, or conspire to commit any Corruption Offense.”
D.1.d of the 2022 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive the outcome, or any other aspect, of any Event.”
Section D.1.o of the 2022 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit, facilitate or incite any other person to commit, attempt, agree or conspire to commit any Corruption Offense.”
D.1.e of the 2022 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, facilitate any Player to not use his or her best efforts in any Event.”
The ITIA is an independent body established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
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Published 16 December 2022 14:30
