Governing physique suspends among the sport’s greatest names forward of formal listening to.Ten Chinese language snooker gamers, together with among the sport’s greatest names, have been charged in an alleged match-fixing scandal that has plunged the sport into a serious corruption disaster.
The governing World Skilled Billiards and Snooker Affiliation (WPBSA) mentioned in a press release on Wednesday that an investigation by its integrity unit had discovered plenty of violations by the gamers.
The ninth-ranked Zhao Xintong has been charged “with caring in fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour” and betting on matches, it mentioned, whereas the Sixteenth-ranked Yan Bingtao is accused of fixing matches and betting on snooker.
Liang Wenbo, a former finalist in the UK Championship, has been charged with “caring in fixing matches and approaching gamers to repair matches on the World Snooker Tour, searching for to hinder the investigation and failing to cooperate with the WPBSA investigation”.
The opposite gamers dealing with prices had been Li Hold, Lu Ning, Zhang Jiankang, Chen Zifan, Chang Bingyu, Zhao Jianbo and Bai Langning.
“The gamers are at the moment suspended from attending and competing on the World Snooker Tour and in different WPBSA ruled occasions till the conclusion of the listening to or hearings and the dedication of this matter,” the assertion mentioned.
“This matter might be referred to a proper listening to earlier than an Impartial Disciplinary Tribunal that may happen at a venue and on a date to be confirmed,” it added.
Snooker grew to become well-liked in China over the previous decade, primarily as a result of success of Ding Junhui, who has received the Masters and the UK Championship and was a runner-up within the World Championship.
Many Chinese language gamers are based mostly in an academy within the English metropolis of Sheffield, the place the World Championship is held yearly.