China has become a global leader in snooker in the last decade. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association is trying to support the sport in China. China has more than 50 million players of snooker, making it one of the top snooker countries in the world. But the Chinese haven't yet seen a winner of the world championship. It is expected that the number of Chinese snooker players will increase rapidly as the sport becomes more popular.
Chinese snooker players are considered icons in their country. Thousands of fans gather to watch tournaments. They are treated like celebrities and get champagne receptions. As the popularity of the sport grows, more and more young players are emerging. Tian Pegfei (left) and Zhang Jiankang (right) are among the younger players.
Another scandal rocked snooker despite China's dominance over the sport in the past decade. Former professional player Yu Delu was suspended on 1 December for match-fixing. Yu is currently suspended for a period of 10 years. WPBSA is also investigating allegations of match-fixing for betting purposes.
While there are no bans for specific players, these suspensions cast a shadow upon the sport. There are only 12 Chinese players amongst the 64 best in the world. After Zhao Xintong, Li Hang and Li Hang were added on to the suspension list, that number has been reduced by 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 scheduled to play in a World Snooker Tour event next month. However, he was disqualified after being drew against Mark Williams in the first round. He was widely expected to be the first Chinese player in a world championship. However, his comments on the ongoing investigation have been limited.
Another Chinese player, Zhao Xintong, is suspended from the World Snooker Tour. He was the world's number one player earlier this season. He is widely regarded as one the most talented players in the sport. Now, he's being investigated in a global probe of match-fixing.
Other Chinese players that have been investigated include former world no. Liang Wenbo (suspended in October) was another Chinese player under investigation. Many other Chinese players have been disciplined for alleged abuse or cheating. This is only a fraction of the hundreds and millions of Chinese fans who have been following the sport.
However, the World Tour has a lot of Chinese players which shows the popularity of the game in China. The country is hosting more tournaments.
The country still has a lot of work to do before it can be as successful as the UK. More tournaments are being held, which means that more young Chinese players are finding their way into the professional snooker scene.
Zhao Xintong (currently) and Ding Junhui (currently), are the top-ranking Chinese players worldwide. Ding has been awarded many ranking titles, and he is well-known in China. Ding stated that even though he has not won a World Championship, he would love to.