Nigerian Tennis Trio Suspended for Match-Fixing Scandal

Three Nigerian tennis players, linked to a Belgian match-fixing syndicate, have been suspended and fined by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. The players, Henry Atseye, Sylvester Emmanuel, and Christian Paul, committed multiple breaches, including match manipulation and accepting corrupt payments, during 2017-18.

In a significant crackdown, the International Tennis Integrity Agency has suspended three Nigerian players for their involvement in a match-fixing scheme linked to a syndicate in Belgium. The players, all ranked outside the top 1,000, received fines of $10,000 each.

Henry Atseye, who is 35, admitted to multiple anti-corruption violations, including fixing match outcomes and facilitating betting, resulting in a 2 1/2-year ban.

Sylvester Emmanuel and Christian Paul, aged 26 and 29 respectively, failed to respond to the charges, essentially admitting guilt. They were each banned for three years. This trio is part of a bigger crackdown that includes 20 others tied to the syndicate run by Grigor Sargsyan, already serving a five-year sentence.

(With inputs from agencies.)