On January 13 the Tennis Integrity Unit issued a media release with details involving a case against Calum Puttergill. The Australian tennis player has been found guilty of betting on tennis matches between 29th May 2012 and 16th November 2014. None of the bets related to matches in which he played.
Banned Australian tennis player Calum Puttergill in action at the Canberra Challenger
Puttergill was in action at the Canberra Challenger event before the announcement of his six month suspension and a US$10,000 fine. Three months of his suspension and US$5,000 of the fine are suspended for three months providing he does not offend again prior to 11 July 2017.
A doubles specialist, Puttergill competed with fellow Australian Daniel Nolan at the Canberra Challenger event held from 7-14 January. The pairing lost to USA’s Nathan Pasha and Australian Brandon Walkin in the opening round. Puttergill is ranked at 891 in the doubles rankings. Walkin is another player who received a suspension from the Tennis Integrity Unit.
Daniel Nolan and Calum Puttergill in action at the Canberra Challenger tennis event
Rob Keating from Keating Media was at the Challenger event and took some photos of Nolan and Puttergill in action, these photos are available with a watermark if you want to share them, or they can be purchased from the photosales site as non-watermarked photos. There are also photos of players such as Sam Groth, Dudi Sela, Gerald Melzer and more from the event which can be purchased from our photo sales website.
Below is the full text of the media release.
Australian tennis player Calum Puttergill has been suspended for six months and fined US$10,000 after being found guilty of a betting-related corruption offence.
The final three months of the period of ineligibility and US$5,000 of the fine are suspended on the condition that Mr.Puttergill commits no further violation of the Tennis Anti Corruption Program (Program) prior to 11 July 2017. Any breach of the Program by him during this period will result in a new six month period of ineligibility being imposed and the full US$10,000 being payable.
A Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation found that the player used two online betting accounts with Sportsbet, to place 291 bets on tennis between 29th May 2012 and 16th November 2014. None of the bets related to matches in which he played.
Under the Program, all players and other Covered Persons are explicitly prohibited from betting on any professional tennis match, at anytime, anywhere in the world.
The case was considered by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Richard McLaren, who imposed the suspension and fine after a Hearing held in London on5 January 2017.
Mr Puttergill, 23, has a current Doubles Ranking of 891 and 1,207 in singles.
The suspension applies with immediate effect and means that he is excluded from competing in, or attending, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport, for the duration of the sanction.
The offence for which he has been disciplined falls under Section D.1.a of the Program: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
Consistent with the confidentiality of the independent Anti-Corruption Hearing process, no further details of the Hearing or Decision will be made public.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Board, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to corruption in tennis.
