Particulars regarding the bans for gamers concerned within the largest match-fixing scandal in snooker historical past have been launched on Tuesday.

All ten Chinese language snooker gamers embroiled within the corruption case have been handed prolonged suspensions, or lifetime bans within the case of Liang Wenbo and Li Dangle.

Current main winners Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong have been different notable names who will probably be out of the sport for an prolonged interval.

However whereas the information brings a conclusion of types to a sorry chapter within the sport’s historical past, many will probably be questioning what sort of affect this may have for snooker’s future.

Let’s begin off with a number of the apparent unfavorable outcomes that might materialise from the sorry saga.

Snooker has been no stranger to match-fixing and betting scandals, however this one goes far and past something that transpired previously.

The truth that it was so widespread, comprising a major share of the game’s gamers from a particular nation, is worrying.

Proof pertaining to a number of matches was included within the official report, however one of many many vital factors that could possibly be raised is the truth that Lu Ning mounted three matches through the 2014/15 snooker season.

That’s a very long time in the past and serves as a crimson flag to how he and maybe others have been in a position to fly underneath the radar largely undetected.

Is it potential to imagine that this match-fixing scandal is restricted to simply these ten gamers, and that all the related mounted snooker matches have been duly found throughout this investigation?

It appears distinctly unlikely and critically places into query the system that’s presently in place to catch the perpetrators.

Questions will even be requested of the schooling offered to worldwide gamers who’re compelled to base themselves within the UK to additional their ambitions within the skilled sport.

There could also be a new world champion from Belgium however the sport, if something, has turn out to be much less world within the final 4 years.

Numerous that’s in fact associated to the turbulent occasions of COVID-19, however additionally it is because of selections taken to proceed to stage extra occasions in or across the UK, relatively than discover choices overseas.

These points have made it more and more troublesome for worldwide gamers – significantly the youthful ones who don’t converse English nicely – to settle in a international setting.

Under no circumstances an excuse for his or her actions, it presents a possible motive for what occurred and the way a number of the youthful gamers might have been influenced or coerced, whereas it additionally raises the priority that they weren’t correctly protected whereas hundreds of miles away from their households.

The match-fixing scandal is disappointing for all ten gamers concerned however significantly for Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao, who have been each established members of the highest 16 in snooker.

As current winners of the UK Championship and the Masters respectively, they have been broadly tipped as potential future world champions.

How all of those points will injury snooker’s fame usually moreover stays to be seen.

Many loyal followers are understandably angered and embarrassed by what has occurred however will little question put the reprehensible occasions behind them when the brand new season will get underneath manner later in June.

Extra regarding is the injury it might do by way of attracting new followers, who may learn the end result of this case and assume an untrustworthy sport is just not well worth the effort.

Different sports activities have confronted comparable conundrums, notably most of the conventional Olympic sports activities that continuously turn out to be flooded by doping instances.

It will likely be attention-grabbing too to see how the snooker scene in China reacts to the information that ten of their very own have been disgraced.

After years away from the nation, the principle tour is not less than assured to return to China through the 2023/24 snooker season.

The market is vitally vital to the game’s monetary future and it will likely be hoped that there will probably be continued curiosity to stage extra tournaments there in the long run regardless of what has occurred right here.

Whereas there are nonetheless many questions left unanswered, on a constructive word the WPBSA and the WST will desperately hope that these enormous bans can act as a deterrent to potential scammers sooner or later.

There have been sizable suspensions previously, together with Stephen Lee’s 12-year ban that’s set to finish in 2024 and Yu Delu’s 10-year ban.

However there has by no means been such a seismic investigation into an unlimited community of match-fixers and collaborators like the size of the one which has been undertaken within the first half of this yr.

The truth that they have been certainly caught and given imposing, and in some instances career-ending, sentences will hopefully result in a cleaner outlook for the game transferring ahead.

That’s most likely naive, however solely time will inform.

Match-fixing snooker scandal bans

Liang Wenbo has been given a lifetime ban from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in prices.

Li Dangle has been given a lifetime ban from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in prices.

Lu Ning has been given an 8 yr suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to five years and 4 months till 6 April 2028. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Yan Bingtao has been given a 7 yr and 6 months suspension, diminished following early admissions and plea of responsible, to five years till 11 December 2027. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Zhao Xintong has been given a 2 yr and 6 months suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to 1 yr and eight months till 1 September 2024. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Zhao Jianbo has been given a 3 yr and 6 months suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to 2 years and 4 months till 7 April 2025. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Chang Bingyu has been given a 3 yr suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to 2 years till 7 December 2024. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Bai Langning has been given a 4 yr suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to 2 years and eight months till 6 August 2025. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Chen Zifan has been given a 7 yr and 6 months suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to five years till 20 December 2027. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Zhang Jiankang has been given a 4 yr and 5 months suspension, diminished following early admissions and his plea of responsible, to 2 years and 11 months till 1 December 2025. He’s to pay £7,500 in prices.

Featured picture credit score: WPBSA