Conker champion cleared of cheating after probe

David Jakins, 82, who is also known as King Conker, won his men’s title “fairly” says organisers.

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A man accused of using a conker made of steel to win a competition “achieved his title fairly”, an investigation concluded. David Jakins, 82, won the men’s competition at the World Conker Championships at a tournament in Southwick, Northamptonshire, on 13 October. His victory was plunged into controversy and he was surprised to find himself at the centre of national headlines when the Telegraph reported claims he cheated by swapping his real conker for a metal one. Mr Jakins, a conker competitor since 1977, denied using a steel horse chestnut at any point in the tournament, and said he kept a steel conker on him for “humour value”. In a statement, the World Conker Championships said nothing “untoward” was seen by judges or umpires. “The video evidence following the men’s final appears to show Mr Jakins putting his hand in his pocket before putting his other hand in a different pocket and drawing out a conker he had prepared earlier to throw to the crowd,” it read. “However, in so doing, the video shows clearly that he was watched by a judge who was looking directly at his hand. “It is concluded that it would be near impossible for Mr Jakins to have swapped the conkers unnoticed.” It added: “The World Conker Championships therefore congratulates King Conker on his victory after 47 years of play.” Kelci Banschbach, 34, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, was the overall winner of the event. She defeated Mr Jakins in the final match to win the women’s title and title “Queen Conker”. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

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