In the past decade China has been a rising powerhouse in the world of snooker. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has worked to promote snooker in China. There are over 50 million snooker players in China, making it the largest snooker playing country in the world. However, there has not been a Chinese world championship winner. As the sport becomes more popular, it is anticipated that the number Chinese snooker player will rise rapidly.
Chinese snooker players are considered icons in their country. Every tournament attracts thousands of spectators. They are treated like stars, get red carpet entrances and champagne receptions. More and more young athletes are joining the sport as it grows in popularity. Tian Pegfei (left) and Zhang Jiankang (right) are among the younger players.
The sport was once again under fire despite China becoming the most dominant player in snooker over the past decade. Former professional player Yu Delu was suspended on 1 December for match-fixing. Yu is currently under a 10-year ban. WPBSA is also looking into match-fixing allegations to bet purposes.
Although no players were banned, suspensions have cast a shadow on the sport. There are only 12 Chinese players amongst the 64 best in the world. The suspension list added Zhao Xintong to the list and Li Hang to it has reduced that number to 11. Moreover, the CBSA is investigating allegations that Liang Wenbo, Lu Ning and Chang Bingyu were involved in match-fixing.
Yan Bingtao (the 2021 Masters champion) is however the most important name in the investigation. He was set to compete in a World Snooker Tour competition next month. After being drawn against Mark Williams, he was disqualified. He was widely expected to be the first Chinese player in a world championship. However, his comments on the ongoing investigation have been limited.
Zhao Xintong (a Chinese player) has been expelled from the World Snooker Tour. Earlier this season, he was ranked as the world's no. He is the world's number one player and is highly regarded in the sport. In a global investigation into match-fixing, he now faces criminal charges.
Former world number one Chinese player has been under investigation. Liang Wenbo (suspended in October) was another Chinese player under investigation. Other Chinese players were also disciplined for cheating and abuse. This is a relatively small number when compared to the many millions of people who have followed the sport across China.
However, the World Tour attracts a lot of Chinese players. In fact, there are more tournaments being held in China.
But, China still has a long way to travel before they can match the success of the UK. Younger Chinese players are making their mark on the professional snooker circuit by participating in more tournaments.
Zhao Xintong (currently) and Ding Junhui (currently), are the top-ranking Chinese players worldwide. Ding has won many ranking titles and is a popular player in China. Ding, even though he hasn't won a World Championship, stated that he would like the World Championship.