“It has been heart-breaking to see some young talented player fall foul of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players. “This has been a very complex case,” WPBSA’s chairman Jason Ferguson said in a statement announcing the punishments, which also included fines for all ten players ranging from $9,300 to $53,000. The remaining players either joined in with match fixing or made illegal bets themselves. In its summary, the WPBSA concluded that Li and Liang were found to be the primary instigators for fixing multiple matches between July and September last year.
Snooker investigates Chinese players over alleged match-fixing scandal Liang was the first Chinese player to be suspended in connection with the investigation in October.Īll 10 players have until June 20 to appeal the decisions.Ĭhinas Zhao Xintong in action against Englands Sam Craigie (not pictured) during day one of the Cazoo UK Snooker Championship at the York Barbican. The disciplinary hearing took place in April and May of this year, months after an alert from the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) last August.
Lu Ning, Zhao Jianbo, Chang Bingyu, Bai Langning, Chen Zifan and Zhang Jiangkang were also banned for between two and eight years, with their early admission of guilt reducing the length.
This includes Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao – considered among snooker’s brightest talents – who have been banned for one year and eight months and five years, respectively. Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were handed lifetime bans for their breaches in conduct regulations, with the remaining eight players pleading guilty and given lengthy suspensions for their involvement, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said. Traditionally snooker was dominated by players from the United Kingdom, but in recent years has seen an influx of Chinese talent, with the sport soaring in popularity there. The punishment is the latest crisis to engulf professional sports in China which has seen a host of match-fixing scandals across multiple disciplines in recent years. Two professional Chinese snooker players have been banned for life and eight others suspended after being found guilty of match-fixing and other charges, the sport’s governing body has announced.
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