Snooker match-fixing case: 10 Chinese players collectively fell, investigation says Liang Wenbo ‘lobbyed’ other players to cheat – BBC News 中文

Jason Ferguson, president of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, said: “It’s a very complicated case. It’s seen some young and talented players go against the world because of pressure from two senior players. The Professional Billiards and Snooker Association’s code of conduct is distressing.”

“These actions were found to be totally unacceptable and as a result both players have been banned from participating in any form of sanctioned snooker activity.”

“I am relieved that the Commission has seen nothing in this case to suggest a wider culture of misconduct in snooker.”

“The World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association will continue to take a strong stance against anyone who tries to manipulate the game and today’s result sends a clear message that match-fixing will not be tolerated in snooker.”

The Chinese Billiards Association issued a statement on the incident on Wednesday (June 7), stating that it will “severely and severely punish” the players involved.

The investigation into the case began in August last year when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association’s Sports Integrity Unit partnered with sports betting data analysis provider “Sportradar” to investigate the incident following an alert from the International Betting Integrity Association. Investigate in detail.

The 10 players involved in the case had been temporarily suspended by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association at that time, and the Chinese Billiards Association also immediately suspended the domestic qualifications of the players involved.

The investigation found that Liang Wenbo played or participated in match-fixing in five snooker games from July 24 to September 28, 2022, and in nine games from July 24 to December 13, 2022. “Soliciting, enticing, inciting, lobbying, encouraging or facilitating” other players’ match-fixing during the game.

The case involves two of snooker’s most promising young players – Zhao Xintong, 25, and Yan Bingtao, 22 – who have won The Masters and British Championships respectively and were previously widely believed to be , has the potential to become a snooker world champion.

Among them, Yan Bingtao won the Masters in 2020 and is the youngest champion in this event in 26 years. Ronnie O’Sullivan, recognized as the number one snooker player in the world, has praised Yan Bingtao many times and described him as “Roger Federer with a pool cue”. , referring to his potential to take his place.

Now Yan Bingtao will be suspended for 5 years.

The 25-year-old Zhao Xintong was sentenced to a 20-month ban. Before the suspension, he was the highest-ranked Chinese player in the world.

After the verdict was announced, he posted an “apology statement” on social media in the early hours of Wednesday morning, saying that he had “disgraced Chinese snooker”.

He claimed that he was “boring and blocked” due to his long-term alone overseas life, and “blindly” imitated others and chose to “pass the time” by gambling. .

“I paid a heavy price for my stupid behavior at that time, and spend every day in regret.” Zhao Xintong said in the statement.

He also claimed that he received psychological counseling assistance from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association after the suspension, and said that he would “return to the game with a better image.”

This is not the first time that Chinese snooker players who have emerged collectively in recent years have been involved in a match-fixing scandal-in 2018, Chinese players Yu Delu and Cao Yupeng were sentenced to 10 years and 9 months and 9 months respectively for gambling and manipulating matches. After the 6-year ban, the China Taiwan Association also imposed a domestic lifetime ban on Yu Delu afterwards. At that time, it was said that it was the first time in history that the China Taiwan Association imposed a top penalty.

Chinese media have previously reported that the China Billiards Association has noticed that gambling behavior may infiltrate Chinese players, and in 2019 established the British Professional Players Committee led by the famous snooker player Ding Junhui to supervise overseas Chinese professional players .

Liang Wenbo, who was involved in the case this time, is still the deputy director of the association. After the case investigation started last year, he was removed from this position by the Taiwan Association of China.

Some media commented that, unlike many sports in China, professional snooker players are not trained and managed by the official system, but are mostly invested and trained by their families, living and training in the UK – “China News Weekly” quoted people familiar with the matter Said that this makes it difficult for the China Taiwan Association to conduct unified management of players.

In the history of snooker, many famous players have been suspended for alleged corruption, including Quinten Hann (Quinten Hann) and Stephen Lee (Stephen Lee).

According to public information and professional website statistics, snooker players have high training costs and high costs, but their income is much lower than other personal sports such as tennis.

Following the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association’s verdict, 10 players have until June 20 to appeal the penalty decision.

It is currently unknown whether the China Taiwan Association will impose additional penalties on the players involved in the case, but the association said in a statement on Wednesday that it will “severe and severely punish the players involved” based on the findings of the World Billiards Association. .

“The association will carry out warning education throughout the industry, and launch a series of measures to carry out the anti-gambling and anti-counterfeiting campaign to the end,” said the statement from the China Taiwan Association, adding that it will “further strengthen the management of professional players in the UK”.

On the other hand, some experts have pointed out that since China’s criminal law has added the crime of “organizing and participating in foreign (overseas) gambling” in recent years, it is not ruled out that the players involved in this case may be involved in criminal crimes.

— Jamie Broughton, snooker reporter, BBC Radio 5 (BBC 5)Jamie Broughton）

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association has worked very hard to investigate this complex case and is pleased with the final decision on punishment.

Over the past decade, the group has shown a determination to investigate corruption and press charges against anyone it believes has committed wrongdoing.

Snooker has had its fair share of bad press in recent months, but the life bans imposed on Liang Wenbo and Li Xing should serve as a strong deterrent to any player who wants to get involved in match-fixing.

For many snooker fans, the real heartbreak in this case is why two of China’s biggest players, Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong, were involved. Both players are considered to have the potential to become future world champions.

People now ask if snooker’s governing bodies could do more around the world to educate young players about the dangers of corruption.

age:36；World Ranking:72; 2015 UK Championship finalist

was punishedlifetime banAnd paid £43,000. He was convicted of match-fixing or being part of a match-fixing group in five matches, attempted to instigate match-fixing by other players, participated in snooker betting, threatened other players, deleted text messages and demanded other players in nine matches Deleted the text message and failed to cooperate with the investigation.

age:32；World Ranking:71

was punishedlifetime banAnd paid £43,000. He was convicted of match-fixing or being part of a match-fixing group in five matches, attempted to instigate other players to fix matches, participated in snooker betting, deleted text messages and asked other players to delete text messages in seven matches.

age: 29;World Ranking:65; 2020 UK Championship semi-finalist

Sentenced to an eight-year ban, which was reduced to5 years and 4 months ban. He has to pay £7,500. He was found not guilty of abetting match-fixing in five matches. He admitted match-fixing, gambling and deleting messages at four snooker matches.

age:22；World Ranking:23; The first professional player born in 2000, the 2021 Masters champion

Sentenced to a seven-and-a-half-year ban, which was reduced to5 years ban. He has to pay £7,500. He admitted match-fixing in four snooker matches and taking part in betting.

age:25 World Ranking:11; 2021 British Championship and 2022 German Masters champion

Sentenced to a two-and-a-half-year ban, which was reduced to1 year and 8 months. He has to pay £7,500. He admitted that he was involved in match-fixing in two matches with another player and personally participated in the betting.

age:24；World Ranking:93

Sentenced to a four-year and five-month suspension, which was reduced totwo years and 11 months. He has to pay £7,500. He admitted to match-fixing a snooker match and not providing information to the WPBSA.

age:27；World Ranking:104

Sentenced to a seven-and-a-half-year ban, which was reduced to5 years ban. He has to pay £7,500. He admitted match-fixing, or participating as part of a group in the planning of match-fixing, or attempting to create a result or score in three snooker matches in which he participated.

age:20 World Ranking:88

Sentenced to a three-and-a-half-year ban, which was reduced totwo-year ban, payable at £7,500. He admitted to match-fixing a snooker match he played in.

age:19 World Ranking:amateur

Sentenced to a three-and-a-half-year suspension, which was reduced toTwo years and 8 months ban, payable at £7,500. He admitted match-fixing – and betting on – a snooker match he played in.

age:20. World Ranking:130

Sentenced to a four-year ban, which was reduced toBanned for two years and four months, payable at £7,500. He admitted to match-fixing a snooker match he played in.