Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong among five Chinese players handed increased bans after match-fixing probe

Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong are among five Chinese snooker players to have been handed increased suspensions from the sport for match-fixing. The duo were two of the most high-profile names to be involved in a scandal that resulted in the WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) Disciplinary Commission dishing out a comprehensive list of punishments earlier in June. Ad However, the BBC reported that the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association has now handed out stricter measures to five players.

UK ChampionshipCraigie dumps out defending champion Zhao, Allen beats Brown12/11/2022 AT 16:53 Former Masters champion Yan’s five-year ban has been increased to seven-and-a-half years. Zhao, who won the UK Championship in 2021, was originally banned for one year and eight months but will now be out of action until July 2025. The remaining three players, Lu Ning, Bai Langning and Zhang Jiankang, now face suspensions of eight years, four years and four years and five months respectively.

Top 10 moments of 2022/23: No. 5 – O'Sullivan invokes spirit of '97 with Rocket-fuelled century Higgins says staying in top 16 in the world at 50 is his big target 'Two life bans out of 10 not enough' – Murphy admits 'mixed feelings' on match-fixing probe Ten players were involved in total, with two – Liang Wenbo and Li Hang – handed lifetime bans from the sport. The case first began in August 2022 when the International Betting integrity Association (IBIA) issued an alert to the WPBSA Integrity Unit, with the latter beginning a detailed investigation into potential wrongdoing.