Leighton Bennett was recently banned for eight years for match-fixing. An 18-year-old Englishman got into a conflict with… Modus Super series end of last year. According to the Belgian prof Kim Huybrechts however, players should know better.
The Double Top Podcast discussed the former prodigy’s suspension in detail. “Eight years of suspension is quite a serious result, his career has not really started yet,” says Huybrechts. “It’s unfortunate for him, but it’s good that it makes young donors realize that match-fixing is absolutely unacceptable.”
Previously, Wessel Nijman he was suspended for two and a half years for match-fixing, but has since returned to the game and started making a name for himself, in a positive sense. “But he cooperated with the investigation,” notes VTM 2 commentator Matthias De Vlieger. “I also think Wessel is a completely different person. Still, in a short period of time, Bennett became known as a “bad boy.”
Wessel Nijman also had to spend some time in the penalty box for match-fixing
Bennett became a youth world champion at the age of 13 in the WDF and was already being called “the new Phil Taylor”. He also won several adult tournaments at a young age. “But I think his career is over,” Huybrechts said. “Therefore, I would give wise advice to young darters: ‘they will approach you, but say no, because it will cost much more than it will bring’.”
Incidentally, Huybrechts believes that players have also slipped through the cracks in the past. “There is no doubt that this will happen, this happens with any criminal activity. But if you get caught, you’ll still pay the price. So just don’t do it!”
The question is whether an organization like the Modus Super Series, which has already seen numerous match-fixing incidents, can do something about it. “I think it’s difficult because as an organization you can’t monitor players 24 hours a day. “Ultimately, players themselves need to be made aware that match-fixing is unacceptable.”
