A Chinese tennis player admits to match fixing and is punished. In addition to a multi-year ban, he must also pay a fine.
Chinese player Pang Renlong has been banned for twelve years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). The organization accuses the 25-year-old of match fixing in a total of 22 cases.
Among other things, Pang had participated in the ITF Men’s Tournament in Causeway Bay in August 2024. There, he lost 0-6, 2-6 to South Korean Shin Woo-bin, who was ranked 697th in the world at the time.
According to the ITIA, Pang admitted to manipulating five of his own matches and encouraging other players to do the same. In addition, he made “corrupt approaches” in eleven other cases, six of which also resulted in match-fixing.
Heavy fine also imposed
The incidents took place between May and September 2024 at ITF tournaments in Turkey, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Pang also competed in the qualifying rounds of the Jinan Open, an ATP Challenger tournament in China, but failed to qualify for the main draw.
In addition to the ban, which is expected to last until 2036 and already includes a provisional suspension, he was fined $110,000. Of this, $70,000 was suspended.
During the ban, Pang is not allowed to participate in events, train, or attend tournaments under the supervision of major tennis associations or national federations.