Gilbert Ulang suspended for seven years after being found guilty of match-fixing at the World Championship

Gilbert Ulang has been suspended from professional darts for seven years after being found guilty of match fixing at the 2016/17 World Championship.

The 39-year-old Filipino was found to have a case to answer in relation to the manipulation of his match with Kevin Simm at the World Championship at Alexandra Palace in December 2016. 

A hearing was held in London on May 23, 2018 and Ulang was found to be in breach of DRA Betting Rules and was suspended for a period of seven years from December 18, 2016 until 17 December, 2023. 

He was also ordered to pay £2,500 as a contribution towards costs of the DRA hearing. 

There is no suggestion whatsoever that his opponent was aware of the manipulation that took place during the game.

The Preliminary Round tie saw Simm, 49, secure a two sets to nil victory, winning both sets in last-leg deciders.

In the deciding leg of the second set, Ulang threw low scores of 26, 41 and 45, and when requiring 109, appeared to miscount by aiming for treble 18 after hitting single 20 with his first dart.

Japan’s Masumi Chino was also the subject of a hearing in relation to his match with Tengku Shah which took place a day earlier but was found not to be in breach of DRA Betting Rules.

Suspicious betting was reported on both matches by betting operators and the UK Gambling Commission conducted a criminal investigation before referring the case back to the DRA.

Betting was identified both online and in betting shops. Between 11th and 14th December 2016, 136 bets had been placed in various betting shops on the two matches in central, east and west London, Oxford, Luton, Cambridge, Biggleswade and Stevenage.

CCTV from the betting shops predominantly shows men placing the bets on the matches in question.

Between 11 and 14 December 2016, attempts to place 13 bets online to a total value of £90,020 resulted in eight bets to a total of £5,020 being successfully placed. 

Between 15 and 18 December 2016 a further 14 bets to a total of £16,000 were placed online.

The DRA stated that it was likely that 158 bets to a total of £70,797 had been placed on the two matches by persons who were known to each other and working in concert to maximise the betting opportunities. This would have delivered a profit of £72,278.

A report prepared by former professional darts player Wayne Mardle was produced at the hearing, with Mardle concluding that Ulang deliberately missed shots and miscounted at a crucial time in the match. 

Ulang, who resides in the Philippines and is predominantly a soft-tip player, was eligible to compete in the World Championship by successfully progressing from a regional qualifying event. 

In his response to the allegation, Ulang said that he did not deliberately throw his match, but was suffering from jetlag and the fact that he was drunk at the time of his match.