Snooker Player Banned for Match-Fixing Wins World Championship
Snooker has a new world champion who recently returned from a suspension for being involved in match-fixing. Zhao Xintong defeated three-time world champion Mark Williams from Wales by a score of 18 frames to 12, making history as the first Asian champion at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, on Monday night.
Snooker is a cue game played on a table measuring 12 feet long and slightly over 6 feet wide, featuring 21 colored balls and a white cue ball. The aim is to sink the balls in a designated sequence to earn points. It is more intricate and strategic than pool, and the yearly World Championship – hosted at the Crucible – is regarded as the sport’s Super Bowl.
Zhao's win has ignited a surge of excitement throughout his country, where the sport has seen tremendous growth in popularity in the last twenty years – with more than 150 million captivated by their screens on Monday.
Controversy Shook Snooker
However, until 227 days prior, Zhao had been banned from the game due to his participation in a match-fixing operation revealed in 2022. Zhao wasn't charged with directly throwing a match, but he was found to be aware that others were fixing games and confessed to placing bets on games himself.
Zhao was one of ten Chinese pros who received bans due to the scandal. Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were also banned for life due to charges of "involvement in match-fixing and contacting players to fix matches on the World Snooker Tour, attempting to hinder the investigation and wagering on snooker matches.”
In January 2023, a separate disciplinary panel prohibited Zhao from competing professionally until September 2024.
Upon completing his sentence, Zhao needed to earn the world championship through difficult means. Instead of being directly placed into the competition, he needed to earn his spot through the amateur circuits. This makes him the initial “amateur” to claim the title.
Redemption Journey
Based on the enthusiastic response from the audience at the Crucible on Monday, Zhao was absolved.
"It’s very good for Chinese snooker,” Zhao said after his win. “I’m very happy I’ve done this for them. It’s unbelievable. This is like a dream. When I shook hands with Mark [Williams] I nearly cried. My first target was just to get through the qualifiers. In the future, many Chinese players can win this.”
Following the match, Williams praised his rival, a thrilling, offensive player poised to control the game for many years ahead.
“There’s a new superstar of the game. He just strolls around the table and pots balls from anywhere as if he doesn’t have a care in the world,” Williams said.
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