Snooker world rocked by match-fixing probe

1 year ago 76

The snooker satellite is reeling aft a slew of pros were banned arsenic the effect of a probe into lucifer fixing.

Seven Chinese players person present been suspended. Five - Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu - were each suspended past week, with 2021 Masters champion Yan Bingtao banned connected Monday.

A seventh player, Liang Wenbo, was suspended successful October pending a "domestic misconduct" investigation.

In a statement, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said the suspension of these latest six players stemmed from the Wenbo investigation.

"(The) consequent probe ... remains ongoing into allegations of manipulating the result of matches for betting purposes," the connection read.

The 22-year-old Yan won the Masters - 1 of snooker's astir prestigious tournaments - successful 2021.

WPBSA president Jason Ferguson conceded the suspensions were "not a large look".

"Obviously, it's not a large look ... but let's not enactment that successful the mode of this large athletics that goes each implicit the world," helium told the BBC.

"We truly are making immense advancement and the athletics is played successful the champion of spirits 99.99 per cent of the time."

Former satellite champion, Australian Neil Robertson said helium was "quite shocked" astatine the news.

"His sanction was connected the committee to play the earlier league and past it was taken down," helium said.

"(WPBSA) would person done each their owed diligence, having a look astatine definite cases oregon whatever, and they thought it was the close telephone to instrumentality him disconnected the lucifer and bring him successful for questioning.

"I'm precise overmuch a believer successful guiltless until proven guilty, but they judge there's thing there.

"Snooker person an unbelievable benignant of portion for this benignant of stuff, and they'll instrumentality each the indispensable steps to marque definite they travel to the close outcome."

Bingtao was expected to play successful the English Open this week. His first-round hostile has been awarded a walkover.

He was besides drawn Mark Williams successful the archetypal circular of the 2023 Masters successful London successful the New Year. He volition apt present beryllium replaced successful the draw.

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