10 snooker players have been suspended in the past month. What happened to Chinese snooker?

　　Chinanews.com, January 4th. Yesterday, the China Billiards Association issued the "Punishment Decision on Suspension of Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang's Domestic Billiard Competition Qualifications."

　　It pointed out that according to the notification of the World Professional Snooker Association (hereinafter referred to as the World Taiwan Federation), it was decided after research that starting from January 3, 2023, all domestic billiard competition qualifications of Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang will be suspended.

Image source: Screenshot of the website of China Billiards Association

　　So far, in the past month, 10 Chinese snooker players have been punished.

　　On December 9, 2022, London local time, the World Taiwan Federation issued a statement stating that six Chinese professional snooker players, including Liang Wenbo, Lu Ning, Li Xing, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning, and Chang Bingyu, were suspected of being Manipulating match results in past matches for illegal profit.

The World Taiwan Federation prohibits Lu Ning, Li Xing, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning, and Chang Bingyu from attending or participating in the World Snooker Tournament.

　　According to reports, the World Taiwan Federation will continue to suspend them until the conclusion of the investigation, and whether there will be follow-up punishment will also depend on the results of the investigation.

These players have the right to appeal the suspension.

Image source: Screenshot of the website of China Billiards Association

　　Since then, the Chinese Billiards Association has also issued a statement stating that the qualifications of these six Chinese players for domestic billiards competitions have been suspended.

　　The China Billiards Association wrote in a statement that according to the World Table Tennis Federation's notification and the "China Billiards Association Disciplinary Guidelines and Punishment Measures" and "China Billiards Association Professional Players Committee Management Regulations", after research and decision, starting from December 11, 2022, stop Liang Wenbo, Li Xing, Lu Ning, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu all qualified for domestic billiards competitions.

　　The statement stated that the China Billiards Association firmly opposes game manipulation, gambling and other acts that violate sports integrity and ethics, and will make further punishments based on the final investigation results of the World Taiwan Federation.

Image source: Screenshot of the website of China Billiards Association

　　On December 12, 2022, London local time, the World Taiwan Federation issued a statement stating that Chinese snooker player Yan Bingtao was suspended for suspected match manipulation.

　　The statement stated that this decision was made because some players were suspected of manipulating the results of the game for the purpose of gambling, and the World Taiwan Federation is investigating this.

The statement emphasized that the suspension will continue until the conclusion of the investigation, and whether there will be subsequent punishment will also depend on the results of the investigation.

　　The 22-year-old Yan Bingtao is currently ranked 16th in the world. In 2021, he won the Masters for the first time in the top 16 in the world.

At that time, he was also regarded as the hope of leading Chinese snooker to the top.

　　Since then, Yan Bingtao has also been punished by the China Billiards Association to suspend his qualifications for domestic billiards competitions.

Image source: Screenshot of the website of China Billiards Association

　　On the evening of December 23, 2022, Beijing time, the World Taiwan Federation and the China Billiards Association both issued statements.

The World Taiwan Federation stated in a statement that the chairman of the World Taiwan Federation, Jason Ferguson, has decided to suspend Chinese snooker player Chen Zifan from participating in the World Snooker Tournament with immediate effect.

The decision is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of match-fixing in violation of the World Taiwan Federation's code of conduct.

　　The China Billiards Association stated in a statement that according to the World Table Tennis Federation's notification, as well as the "China Billiards Association Disciplinary Guidelines and Punishment Measures" and the "China Billiards Association Professional Players Committee Management Regulations", starting from December 23, 2022, Chen Zifan's domestic billiards will be suspended. Billiards qualification.

　　However, Chen Zifan's suspension did not stop the matter. The gambling turmoil that has lasted for nearly half a month has spread from 2022 to 2023.

　　Eleven days later, Chinese snooker players Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang were suspended by the World Table Tennis Federation and the Chinese Billiards Association.

　　The World Table Tennis Federation and the Chinese Billiards Association issued a suspension statement on the two players on the 3rd.

The World Taiwan Federation stated in a statement that the chairman of the World Taiwan Federation, Jason Ferguson, has decided to suspend Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang from participating in the World Snooker Tournament. part in progress.

　　The Chinese Billiards Association stated in a subsequent statement that starting from January 3, 2023, all domestic billiards qualifications of Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang will be suspended.

Image source: Screenshot of the World Taiwan Federation website

　　In the current world rankings of the World Taiwan Federation, Zhao Xintong ranks ninth, the highest-ranked Chinese player at this stage, and Zhang Jiankang ranks 82nd.

At the end of 2021, Zhao Xintong won the British Championship and won his first ranking championship.

At the beginning of last year, he won the Snooker German Masters again.

　　So far, ten Chinese players, including Zhao Xintong, Zhang Jiankang, Chen Zifan, Yan Bingtao, Lu Ning, Li Xing, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning, Chang Bingyu, and Liang Wenbo, have been suspected of manipulating the results of matches for the purpose of gambling. Billiards Association banned.

　　Among these ten players, there are not only the backbone of the field who have been fighting for several years, but also the hopeful star who is gaining momentum.

Now he is deeply involved in the gambling turmoil, which not only casts a shadow over his career, but also has an immeasurable negative impact on the development of Chinese snooker.

　　In fact, in the history of snooker, many famous players have been investigated for match-fixing and even banned by the World Taiwan Federation, including Quentin Hahn, Stephen Lee, Leo Fernandez, and John Higgins.

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