The World Conker Championships is looking into allegations of cheating after the men’s winner was discovered to have a steel chestnut in his pocket. David Jakins clinched the annual title in Southwick, Northamptonshire, on Sunday for the first time since he started competing in 1977. However, the 82-year-old was found with a metal replica in his pocket during a search by organizers post-victory. The retired engineer has refuted claims that he used the metal conker during the tournament. Jakins, who served as the competition’s top judge, known as the “King Conker,” was responsible for drilling and stringing other competitors’ chestnuts.
Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, who was defeated by Jakins in the men’s final, expressed suspicions of “foul play”, according to the Telegraph. The 23-year-old stated: “My conker shattered in one hit, which is highly unusual… I have my doubts about foul play and have voiced my concerns to the organizers.” Kelci Banschbach, 34, from Indianapolis, triumphed over the men’s champion in the grand final, becoming the first American to win the competition. Over 200 participants took part in the event.
Jakins explained: “I had the steel conker in my pocket, but I only keep it for fun and did not use it during the competition. Yes, I assisted in preparing the conkers before the tournament. But this is not cheating or a fix, and I did not mark the strings.” St John Burkett, a spokesperson for the World Conker Championships, confirmed that the cheating allegations are under investigation. “Claims of foul play have surfaced, suggesting that King Conker exchanged his real conker for the metal one found in his pocket. Players select conkers from a sack before each round. There are also allegations that King Conker marked the strings of tougher nuts. We can confirm he was involved in drilling and stringing the nuts before the event. We are currently investigating these claims.” Over 2,000 conkers were prepared for the event.
