10 Snooker Players Receive Suspensions in Match-Fixing Scandal

Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been banned from snooker for life, while former Masters champion Yan Bingtao has been exiled for five years.

Zhao Xintong has been banned for one year and eight months until September 2024, the shortest of the 10 punishments.

The players have been found guilty of fixing matches, soliciting players to fix matches, and attempting to cover up their involvement in match-fixing.

The full findings of the independent WPBSA Disciplinary Commission can be found here.

Players have until 20 June to appeal.

The article reports on a corruption scandal in the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) involving several players.

LI HANG was found to have fixed or facilitated the fixing of five snooker matches between July and September 2022, and to have bet on snooker matches in breach of rules.

He also attempted to cover up his involvement in match fixing by deleting messages on his phone and requesting that other players delete messages.

YAN BINGTAO, ZHAO XINTONG, ZHAO JIANBO, CHANG BINGYU, BAI LANGNING, and CHEN ZIFAN were found to have fixed various snooker matches between July and December 2022.

LU NING was not involved in match fixing, but admitted to fixing three snooker matches in the 2014-15 season and one match in 2022.

CHEN ZIFAN was found to have contrived or fixed the results of three matches he played in between July and August 2022.

ZHANG JIANKANG was found to have fixed a match he played in July 2022 and to have bet on snooker matches in breach of rules.

All of the players were found to have breached the WPBSA Conduct Regulations and were subject to disciplinary action.