Exclusive story about gambling and frauds in tennis, just days before the first grand slam

Tennis year 2016 started in Australia with "fireworks" of media charges about corruption in sports on all levels, that did not go around some of the most famous aces of the present day. This chase was so ever present, the home and world tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt and former world number one, was forced to answer on alleged accusations that he was involved in this "devastating practice" - on his goodbye ceremony for press, in the presence of his children.

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This excessive critique of procedure, effectiveness and organisations of Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) in tennis was followed with the reports received from partner organisations of Games on luck industry about suspicions trends of placing bets on higher number of matches - mostly in lower levels of the competition. Official program for fight against corruption in tennis, was presented in 2009. and it relates to the players, officials and any third company hired in the professional tennis - with a very detailed and extensive competencies in research methodology of suspected cases (from taking forensic samples to the confiscation of communication devices) it evidently wasn't efficient enough, per se, in the fight against this unwanted and devastating appearance for world tennis.

The storm about the charges did not go down not even the Australian Open, Main Board of integrity in tennis - composed of Philip Brook (A representative of the Central Committee of Grand Slam tournaments and Director of England Tennis Association), Chris Kermode (President of the Men's Professional Tennis Association ATP), David Haggerty (President of the International Tennis Association and President of the ITF Board for 2017) and Steve Simon (President of the Women's Professional Tennis Association WTA), decided to take a series of concrete measures - among which the first was extensive and public study on the state of the labor body in charge of maintaining integrity in tennis - whose first results were announced for the spring of this year.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

The Executive Committee team, based in London, increased by 10 members, has significantly expanded the activities of checking and testing - but also the punishment of, so far, the largest number of individuals in professional tennis since its establishment in 2008, mostly at the Futures and Challenger tournaments.

The correct systematic cooperation with companies from the games on luck industry has been extended to the new Memorandum of Understanding - which has intensified the process of timely reporting and the reporting of suspected betting on tennis. Extensive measures have been undertaken for preventive education of players and tournament officials up to the highest level, Head for the training and education of professional tennis staff has been appointed for this reason at the beginning of 2017.

Activities and measures for the defense of integrity in tennis were also presented in the form of online applications and training program - available to all tennis professionals, and other interested parties - above all, from the world of media. The Committee for Integrity in tennis is there for more efficient and undisputed functioning of new mechanisms of defense of old values in sport, and budget increase has been provided for its functioning - from 2.4 million to 23.3 million US dollars. Funding for the work of this body is provided with 25% of the income from ATP and WTP organisations, and with 10% form International Tennis Association ITF and every fourth Grand Slam tournament.

Foto: AP/Eugene Hoshiko

During its four annual plenary assembly - Australian Open, French Open, US Open and final ATP Masters tournament in London - The Committee appointed a four-member team to implement operational measures of defense of integrity in tennis, which is made up of Bill Babcock (Chairman of the Committee of the Grand Slam tournaments ) Gail Bradshaw (Executive Vice Chairman of the international rules in the ATP tennis), Stuart Miller (Executive Director of the development department and integrity in tennis ITF) and Courtney McBride (senior counsel for the WTA). This operational team also undertook the responsibility to, in the process of implementation of investigative actions, refer all cases for consideration to the special Independent office for consideration of the cases in connection with the anti-corruption activities - to ensure the transparency and impartiality during work.

As a result of these activities, the TIU announced that it has processed and fined eleven tennis professionals - seven players (Greek Jakupovic, South African Ceti, Bulgarian Tarp, Thai Nalamfuna, French Lestien, Mexican Garza and Pole Gadomski) and four officials (the Uzbeks Molotjagin and Hasan and Turks Aslan and Ulker) - from 3 months to lifetime ban on practicing sport, with appropriate financial penalties.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

According to the first information TIU announced for 2017, measures of temporary and immediate suspension of suspected illegal and corrupt activities in tennis will be significantly expanded and enhanced - that should represents an effective method of deterring engaging in these activities. Other measures and mechanisms, in addition to a transparent financial statements of work of TIU and subsidiary bodies are presented on the website tennisintegrityunit.com.

In any case, the world's leading tennis bodies have done a lot to prevent "dark Australian summer" 2016 from ever happening to them, to their professionals and fans of white sport - when broad media charges dominated in public discourse about professional tennis, and players and coaches were seriously thinking about withdrawal from the Grand Slam as a protest.

We will see if they were successful, will the first report from Melbourne consist of some words of praise for mentioned activities and results - or will some other scandal (mostly launched from the "ink" of anglo-american media and websites - like BuzzFeed, hated even by Donald Trump) serve as some new "special" on menu for the premiere week of first Grand Slam in Melbourne.

(Telegraf.co.uk)