Snooker’s governing body charges ten players with match-fixing
Today the independent WPBSA Disciplinary Commission has delivered its decision on the ten players charged with match fixing offences and have issued two lifetime bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, and lengthy bans for the other players concerned.
- Liang Wenbo has been given a lifetime from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in costs.
- Li Hang has been given a lifetime from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in costs.
- Lu Ning has been given an 8 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 5 years and 4 months until 6 April 2028. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Yan Bingtao has been given a 7 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and plea of guilty, to 5 years until 11 December 2027. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Zhao Xintong has been given a 2 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 1 year and 8 months until 1 September 2024. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Zhao Jianbo has been given a 3 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 4 months until 7 April 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Chang Bingyu has been given a 3 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years until 7 December 2024. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Bai Langning has been given a 4 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 8 months until 6 August 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Chen Zifan has been given a 7 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 5 years until 20 December 2027. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
- Zhang Jiankang has been given a 4 year and 5 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 11 months until 1 December 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
Jason Ferguson WPBSA Chairman said: “This has been a very complex case. It has been heart-breaking to see some young talented players fall foul of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players. This behaviour has been recognised as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognised snooker in any way.
“Those who try to corrupt sport are constantly trying to find new ways to avoid our monitoring processes and this outcome must be taken as a lesson to those who think they can avoid detection. If any player is involved in fixing a snooker match, they will be caught and will face severe penalties.
“I am pleased that the Commission found that they did not see from the present case “any evidence of a wider culture of wrongdoing in snooker”. The WPBSA will continue its strong stance against those who try to manipulate sport and today’s outcome sends out a clear message that match fixing will not be tolerated in snooker.”
The circumstances of the case are that following an alert in August 2022 from the International Betting integrity Association (IBIA), the WPBSA Integrity Unit working closely with Sportradar carried out a detailed investigation that led to charging ten snooker players with serious breaches of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations. Pending the determination of those breaches the ten players were each suspended.
The WPBSA in accordance with the WPBSA Conduct Regulations, asked Sport Resolutions to appoint an independent King’s Counsel to hear the case against the ten players. Ian Mill KC was appointed to Chair the Independent Disciplinary Commission sitting with Grace Cheng of Counsel and Gordon McKay.
The case was heard in London between the 24th and 26th April and on 3rd May 2023 with the players attending in person or by video link. The Players were each legally represented or assisted by the WPBSA Players Association.