Two Chinese snooker players handed lifetime bans for role in match-fixing scandal
Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, two Chinese snooker players, received lifelong bans from the game on Tuesday for their involvement in a match-fixing incident that also involved eight other members of their nation.
An independent disciplinary commission found Liang and Li guilty of fixing five matches in July of last year, after which they urged or pressured others to rig matches between July and December.
The World Snooker Tour sanctioned ten Chinese players in all, including two of the biggest names in the sport, Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong.
Liang is a former finalist in the UK Championship, one of the biggest events on the snooker calendar.
Yan — the 2021 Masters champion — was handed a five-year ban and Zhao — the UK Championship winner from the same year – was banned for one year and eight months.
An investigation was launched following an alert in August last year from the International Betting Integrity Association and World Snooker’s integrity unit. The 10 players were then suspended pending an investigation.
Jason Ferguson, chairman of World Snooker said:
“It has been heartbreaking to see some young talented players fall foul of the (World Snooker) Conduct Regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players,”
“This behavior has been recognized as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognized snooker in any way.
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