Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been handed lifetime bans from snooker among 10 Chinese players excluded in one of sports’ biggest match-fixing scandals.
On a dreadful day for the game the guilty verdicts were released on a range of match-fixing related charges and sanctions from the independent disciplinary hearing chaired by Ian Mill KC. Former English Open winner Liang, 36, was found guilty on a range of offences including fixing matches, as well as encouraging others to do the same.
He also failed to co-operate with the investigation, bet on snooker, deleted messages and threatened others with the investigation and threatening another player to do the same. Liang was fined £43,000 in costs. Li fixed or was a party to fixing five matches, and also encouraged others to do likewise. He also failed to co-operate, deleted messages and bet on snooker matches. He was also fined £43,000 costs.
Li was the only player to plead not guilty to all charges – while Liang did not co-operate in any way with the hearing.
Also included in the list of banned players are Triple Crown title winners Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong. Former Masters champion Yan, 23, was found guilty of fixing four matches and betting on snooker and banned for seven years and six months – reduced to five years for pleading guilty.
And former UK Championship winner Zhao, 26, saw his original ban for being party to fixing matches and betting on snooker reduced from two years and six months to a year and eight months.
Three of the players – Li, Zhao and Yan - were legally represented. In all the bans range from the life exclusions imposed on Liang and Li, the 20 months received by Zhao. The outcomes for Yan and Zhao – two of the best players in the world and tipped to win many more titles in their careers – is a particular blow for both snooker and China.
Lu Ning, 29, has been banned for five years and four months – reduced from eight years for pleading guilty to fixing four matches, betting on snooker, and covering up his involvement. Zhao Jianbo, just 19, received a ban of two years and four months, down from three years and six months for his guilty plea over fixing a match and betting on snooker.
Chang Bingyu, at only 20, has been banned for two years , down from three for pleading guilty to fixing a match. The 21-year-old Bai Langning will be banned for two years and eight months – down from four years for pleading guilty to fixing a match.
Chen Zifan, 27, has been banned for five years with two and a half years knocked off for pleading guilty to fixing or contriving to fix three matches. And finally in the list of shame Zhang Jiankang, 24, was banned for two years and 11 months, down from four years and five months for pleading guilty to fixing a match, betting on snooker and failing to co-operate.
All the players have until 20th June 2023 to appeal the decisions, arrived after a complex and often tough investigation by the WPBSA’s integrity unit. Among many alarming aspects of the case are the young ages of some of those involved, together with the reports of intimidation from some older players.
And with 10 players banned snooker has to take its place in the pantheon of shame alongside grim sporting episodes such as cricket spot-fixing, Italian football’s lowest moments, and even the baseball Chicago White Sox World Series ‘fix’ of 1919.
And major changes and beefed-up education and scrutiny can be expected at the academies at which most of the players were based in the UK.
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson 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.”
Full list of bans
- 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.
