Bolivian Tennis Official Handed Six-Year Suspension for Match-Fixing

A Bolivian tennis official, Heriberto Morales Churata, received a six-year suspension from the sport for violating gambling regulations.

Churata was discovered to be altering match scores for wagering purposes during ITF World Tennis Tour competitions in 2021 and 2022. He input inaccurate results into his personal device, essentially placing wagers on matches he was officiating.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) imposed a $10,000 penalty on Churata in addition to the suspension, which commenced on December 8, 2022. This prohibits him from officiating or even attending any tennis tournament sanctioned by the ITIA until December 7, 2028.

This situation clearly demonstrates the ITIA’s commitment to eradicating corruption in tennis, extending beyond just players. In the previous year, Bulgarian umpire Stefan Milanov faced a similar ban and fine for comparable transgressions.