The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) has announced its punishment for the disgraced Chinese snooker players.
The body has taken a similar approach to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in dealing with the ten competitors who have been embroiled in snooker’s biggest ever scandal.
Earlier this month, the WPBSA revealed that all ten players would receive bans of varying lengths for their involvement in a widespread match-fixing and betting corruption case.
The CBSA has now added to that with their own penalties, ensuring that these players will not be able to participate in any cue sport competition in China in the foreseeable future.
Similar to the WPBSA’s punishment, the CBSA has banned Liang Wenbo and Li Hang from participating in any snooker or cue sport tournament for life.
The pair received the most serious charges, including match-fixing, coercion, and an attempt to cover up their actions.
Liang is a former top 16 player who memorably jumped for joy upon lifting the English Open title in 2016, while Li had been a professional on the main tour since 2008.
Lengthy suspensions were also dished out to the remaining eight players, mostly in line with those administered by the WPBSA.
- CLICK HERE: Ken Doherty – ‘We must learn lessons from this’
However, in some cases the CBSA has opted for the official sentencing rather than the reduced option that many players were granted with with the WPBSA.
For instance, former Masters champion Yan Bingtao could return under the WPBSA in late-2027 after his sentence was reduced by more than two years following his early admission of guilt.
But under the CBSA ruling, Yan will not be able to play snooker in China until May in 2030, which could scupper his chances of making a successful return to the sport while still in his prime.
The organisation’s stricter stance will hopefully discourage its players from repeating the same mistakes in the future.
The CBSA suspensions:
1. Liang Wenbo and Li Hang are punished with lifetime bans, and they are prohibited from participating in all billiards matches and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
2. Lu Ning will be suspended for 8 years until December 6, 2030. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
3. Yan Bingtao will be suspended for 7 years and 6 months until May 11, 2030. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
4. Chen Zifan will be suspended for 5 years until December 20, 2027. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
5. Zhang Jiankang will be suspended for 4 years and 5 months until May 1, 2027. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
6. Bai Langning will be suspended for 4 years until December 6, 2026. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
7. Zhao Xintong will be suspended for 2 years and 6 months until July 1, 2025. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
8. Zhao Jianbo will be suspended for 2 years and 4 months until April 7, 2025. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
9. Chang Bingyu will be suspended for 2 years until December 7, 2024. During the suspension period, he is prohibited from participating in all billiards events and activities in mainland China in any form and in any capacity.
Featured photo credit: WST
The BBC has to improve their quality of reporting. They actually wrote that the bans under the WPBSA were extended and those players would only be allowed to return to the main tour later than the actual ban.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/65977212
It would seem if your a highly ranked scottish player the punishment for being caught red handed, doesn’t mean you will be treated as harshly as other players have been. True justice, mmm I don’t think so. Corruption all round, we all know it is.
There’s a big difference between Higgins and these who have been banned. Firstly, if it weren’t for the string operation, Higgins probably would never have found himself in such a position. Secondly, Higgins never fixed any matches and certainly didn’t bet on any matches either. The reason why he got banned for a year was because he brought snooker into disrepute by not telling the authorities about the approach.