China’s national snooker federation on Wednesday imposed lifetime sanctions on two players involved in a match-fixing scandal. The snooker world has been rocked by revelations of widespread cheating and misconduct, much of it involving prominent Chinese players.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport’s world governing body, had already sanctioned ten Chinese players, including Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, imposing a lifetime ban. The Chinese Federation issued a statement on Wednesday confirming these sanctions.
Liang and Li are banned from participating in any snooker matches or events in mainland China in any capacity. In addition, sanctions ranging from two to eight-year bans were announced for eight other local players. These players were charged with match-fixing, approaching other players to cheat, betting on snooker matches, and fixing results.
It was initially unclear whether the players would be able to appeal the sanctions imposed. This scandal has tarnished the reputation of snooker in China, which has been a cradle of outstanding talent in recent years.
Despite the sanctions, China will host three international snooker tournaments this year, including one in Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected. Although China has been isolated from the rest of the world due to its strict anti-COVID-19 policies, the country remains a major center for snooker and hosts major competitions.