Chinese duo and 10 other players punished by sport\u2019s governing body for match-fixing
\nLONDON
\nChinese pair Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were given lifetime bans from snooker on Tuesday for match-fixing after a \u201cheart-breaking\u201d corruption scandal rocked the sport.
\nIn total, 10 Chinese players were handed bans of varying lengths by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) on Tuesday.
\nLu Ning, Zhao Xintong, Yan Bingtao, Chen Zifan, Zhang Jiankang, Bai Langning, Zhao Jianbo and Chang Bingyu were the other players suspended.
\nYan, the 2021 Masters champion, has been banned for five years until December 2027 after his initial seven and a half-year suspension was reduced following his early admissions and guilty plea.
\nFormer UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong will serve a 20-month suspension, reduced from two-and-a-half years after his early admissions and guilty plea, that ends in September 2024.
\nThe charges included manipulating games, approaching players to cheat, betting on snooker and fixing a match.
\n\u201cIt has been heart-breaking to see some young, talented players fall foul of the WPBSA conduct regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players (Liang and Li),\u201d WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said.
\n\u201cThis behaviour has been recognised as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognised snooker in any way.
\n\u201cThis outcome must be taken as a lesson to those who think they can avoid detection. If any player is involved in fixing a snooker match, they will be caught and will face severe penalties.\u201d
\nWorld number 72 Liang, who won the 2016 English Open, and world number 71 Li must also pay \u00a343,000 ($53,000) in costs.
\nThe International Betting Integrity Association became aware of wrongdoing in August 2022 and a detailed investigation was carried out by the WPBSA Integrity Unit and Sportradar.
\nLiang was found to have \u201cfixed or been a party to fix five snooker matches\u201d between July 24 and September 28, 2022.
\nThe panel determined that the 36-year-old \u201csolicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated players to fix nine matches\u201d between July 24 and December 13, 2022.
\nLiang was accused of behaving \u201cin conduct that was corrupt by threatening another player and making him delete his messages on his phone\u201d.
\nHe was also found to have threatened another player to seek to persuade him not to assist the WPBSA enquiry.
\nWhen aware of the WPBSA enquiry, Liang was also found to have covered up or attempted to cover up his involvement in match-fixing by deleting messages on his phone and by requesting other players deleted messages.
\nLi has been found to be in breach of the regulations as he fixed or was a party to fix five snooker matches between July 24 and September 29, 2022.
\nThe WPBSA also found he \u201csolicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated\u201d players to fix seven matches between July 24 and December 13, 2022.
\nHe was also found to have bet on snooker matches on or after September 1, 2022 when aware of the WPBSA enquiry, while covering up or attempting to cover up his involvement in match-fixing.
\nYan, ranked 23, admitted he fixed four matches he played in and also bet on snooker matches.
\nThe other players all accepted fixing matches except for world number 11 Zhao Xintong, who accepted he was a party to another player fixing two matches and that he had bet on snooker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chinese duo and 10 other players punished by sport\u2019s governing body for match-fixing LONDON Chinese pair Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were given lifetime bans from snooker on Tuesday for match-fixing after a \u201cheart-breaking\u201d corruption scandal rocked the sport. In total, 10 Chinese players were handed bans of varying lengths by the World Professional Billiards […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-336231","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n