Snooker Biggest Match-Fixing Scandal 2023
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2023
- Chinese players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been handed lifetime bans for their involvement in snooker's biggest match-fixing scandal. Eight other players Lu Ning,Yan Bingtao,Zhao Xintong,Zhang Jiankang,Chen Zifan,Chang Bingyu,Zhao Jianbo,Bai Langning all from China, have received bans ranging from 20 months to five years and four months from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). The allegations include manipulating games, approaching players to cheat, betting on snooker and fixing matches.
Yan Bingtao, the 2021 Masters champion, has been banned until December 2027, while former UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong must serve a suspension that ends in September 2024.
Liang Wenbo - Given a lifetime ban and ordered to pay £43,000 in costs. He was found guilty of fixing or being a party to fixing five matches, trying to get other players to fix nine matches, betting on snooker matches, threatening another player, deleting messages and asking other players to, failing to cooperate with the enquiry.
Li Hang -Given a lifetime ban and ordered to pay £43,000 in costs. He was found guilty of fixing or being a party to fixing five matches, trying to get other players to fix seven matches, betting on snooker matches, deleting messages and asking other players to.
Lu Ning - Given a ban of five years and four months, reduced from eight years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He was not found guilty of inducing others to fix matches. He accepted charges of fixing four snooker matches he played in, betting on matches and deleting messages.
Yan Bingtao - Given a ban of five years, reduced from seven and a half years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing four snooker matches he played in and betting on matches.
Zhao Xintong - Given a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two and a half years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.
Zhang Jiankang - Given a ban of two years and 11 months, reduced from four years and five months after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in, betting on matches and not giving the WPBSA information.
Chen Zifan - Given a ban of five years, reduced from seven and a half years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing or contrived, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive the result or score of three snooker matches that he played in.
Chang Bingyu - Given a ban of two years, reduced from three years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in.
Zhao Jianbo - Given a ban of two years and eight months, reduced from three and a half years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in - and betting on that match.
Bai Langning - Given a ban of two years and four months, reduced from four years after his early admissions and guilty plea. He has to pay £7,500 in costs. He accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in.
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#liangwembo #snookermatchfixing #chinesesnooker #snooker2023 - Sport
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Cite your sources, The Cueist. I know how to obtain the primary sources that you base your video on but the vast majority of your viewers don't.
Higgins got off scot free, i love this pun. Not even mine😂
Why john Higgins wasnt banned seems like one rule for one
Fair point, exactly the same, definitely one rule for one and another rule for the other.
He was though...
Thousands of hours of practice down the drain.🤔
Higgins was caught on camera red handed🤷🏼♂️
Read the official documents of the Higgins investigation, kid, instead of parroting hearsay based on an edited video..
They ALL should be banned for life!
Encouraging more and more betting companies to sponsor professional ranking snooker events hasn't aged well, has it?
😂😂😂😂
Well. Those are just scapegoat that's all
if you are guilty of fixing a match, you should receive a lifetime ban not just a measly year ban. This is disgusting! After the year ban, they can simply return to the game and continue to fix their matches
If they reoffend, surely there's grounds for a much more severe possibly career ending consequences.
They were probably bullied into doing it by the two lifers
Takes the piss, only years when Stephen was stripped from his whole career. Bollocks. Lee should appeal.
I think the case for Stephen Lee is a very good point indeed😏
Liang is the worst thing that has ever happened in snooker. Glad to not see him ever again.
john higgins only got 6 month
Not sure how Higgins dodged a bullet!!
cause he was one of the top 3 players at the time
Former multiple world champion mate
The real punishment for the Chinese players might be when they all return home.
Only for getting caught. Everyone in China gambles, and I wouldn't be the least surprised if the Chinese snooker authorities were in on this whole thing. They even likely instigated this whole debacle.
This is what happens when the govt takes away 80%+ of your earnings. Why earn official earnings when you can get to keep what you make off the books ?
They should all be life bans, nothing else will stop this happening. Players who are prompted to cheat should have a way of reporting it in secret.
Bingtao and zhou will have some balls to even return to snooker they will never have the respect that they once had with players and fans
Zhou haven't been suspended. I presume you're referring to Zhao Xintong.
They will still most certainly have my respect, unlike the scum that is jason fungusson.
@@Highran56 who are you the spelling police?
@@lhu8891big mad lol, learn how to spell
john higgins has some balls then
A cheat is a cheat..should all be banned..
Yes for sure and how many have got away with it?
Absolute disgrace to snooker... To see such talented young players like Yan and Zhou.. Both triple crown winners be reeled in by seniors is crazy.. Totally ruined there careers and respect of how good they are.. Why didn't John Higgins get a life time ban.. One of the all time greats.. And probably the most fluent cue action in the game.. Stephen Lee.. He got what he deserved.. Hope the others learn from this..
Higgins didn’t fix anything, he just agreed to it. Not near as bad as Lee or most of the Chinese players.
There are a number of players called Zhou but none of them have been suspended.
Two players called Zhao have been. Do try to get facts correct.
You think the Chinese mafia give a damn about their talent? You have any idea how much pressure and threats the triads place on these young players? Often they bankroll them, get their families out of poverty for this very purpose. To be their lapdogs. Lives are literally at stake.
@@adrianwright8685
He's probably one of those who sees Chinese and Japanese as the same, I wouldn't bother.
Higgins has done so much for snooker (and received so much) he couldn't be held down
Can’t believe Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao got caught up in it, where they just in the room when others were planning match-fixing? I hadn’t heard about this scandal until this video, I’m shocked.
Did you watch the video? It says Yan threw 4 matches. Zhao knew about other players fixing matches and bet on their games.
@@dhirajpallin2572 Zhao definitely fixed matches.
@@end-game2030 At least he was definitely going to in the future. If he did already he's just lucky they couldn't prove it. It's possible they just caught the ring in time before he got more involved though.
Liang Wenbo was literally the ring leader apparently! Acting like some sort of mob boss, forcing players to throw matches and even battering a woman in the street in the middle of Sheffield. Horrible bunch of bastards.. the lot of them. And they've brought unfixable shame to themselves and their country's image within snooker.
@@dhirajpallin2572 Zhao's betting was not related to this match fixing scandal, which is why he got the lightest sentence. This video didn't explain clearly.
Two phrases to ponder on - follow the money and qui bono?
The real criminals in these matters are not being pursued.
Mark Allen wasn't wrong with his comment ' chinese player's are cheat' 2012 wcs playing cao yupeng ironically.
Cao yupeng was banned for 2 years for match fixing.
So Stephen Lee, John Higgins and Mark King are Chinese?
Since when? 🙄
A racist remark - are you quite sure that's what he said - would get banned himself if true!
@@sltga1254 I'm just saying what Mark Allen said, the irony. I'm not saying all chinese player's or people are cheater's.
You got it mixed up. Allen accused Cao didnt call a foul and end up Allen losing the match. Allen apologies subsequently
"Are cheat"? Apparently northern irish people can't speak proper English lmao
Aaaahh Zhao Xingtong why why??? Your were #11 dude. You were in. I saw nothing but positve results for you in the future. Now`?.... I mean you're young and talented maybe you can recover but DUUUDE. In that time so many new talents may come through. Are you even gonna be relevant? I hope so cause it seems you were coerced. FUCK what a black day for Snooker.
The same should have happened when John Higgins was caught
He wasn’t caught. He was found guilty of not telling the WPBSA that he had been approached to throw a match. His manager said don’t tell them I’ll do it officially and properly and then took way to long to do it.
Higgins did not match fix, nor did he put any other player under pressure to do so. He was banned for 6 months and fined £75,000 and paid £10,000 in costs.
Agree "honest John" 😂😂😂😂
@@garyhorsburgh1924 he was filmed agreeing to match fix and said he was "scared" when caught. !!
Never fixed any frame or match.
Just what pictures of who doing what does John Higgins have stashed away….
In 2008 Peter Ebdon was investigated by the Gambling Commission over suspicious betting patterns. His opponent, Liang Wenbo.
I wonder if this merits looking at again?
He's probably still playing that match.
I wonder if some day you'll be able to check the answer to your question before writing your comment..
To get there, I'll teach you how to do an online search: I'm all for helping people struggling with cognitive challenges.
Apparently some guys asked Ebdon if he’d fix a match, but he took so long to answer that they just gave up.
Wenbo won 5-0.
@@samharper5881 in his mind at least :)
Ban them all for life
They'll make money coaching back home in China. That shouldn't be allowed either
Its an absolute discrase to the game, really talented players who have ruined there careers, Mudd sticks and no one will ever forgive this
Thanks for the like
They forgave John Higgins fairly quickly, they’ll serve their bans and make a comeback
An absolute disgrace, sorry but had to correct your spelling(discrase) Mud too 😂
I may spell wrong but I'm definitely right all this match fixing and all fraudulent activity, and disrespecting fans and the game and all your bothered about is the spelling, I had a few drinks when I wrote that, but I will never watch, or support these players ever again, it is beyond forgiveness, and if anyone supports it and would like an argument on the morels of the game, get in touch
@@JoePye-hk3jw "you're bothered", "morals" hahaha (also "their careers" in the original comment ...)
If any of these players return to pro snooker, I wouldn't take money to go and see the match.
Just start a fixed snooker league and bring back Stephen Lee. Betcha it’s more entertaining than anything with Selby.
😂Ah mate you just made my day
Amazing- ban them for match fixing but turn a blind eye to Chines players silence on genocide of the Uyghurs in their China.
😂😂😂 with that many gambling sites as main sponsors I won’t blame the players
Thanks Barry. What a legacy.
This is just a list of the players involved and the charges and punishments they received.
Let's have some details of what actually went on.
6 months for john higgins. What a mockery😂😂😂
John Higgins was never banned for match fixing...
There was also no evidence that he match fixed, the full video completely exonerated him of any charges.
Maybe do some research, idiot.
BIG DIFFERENCE John Higgins didn't cheat or take money though,nor did he throw any matches and he wasn't accused of match fixing or get done for match fixing. John Higgins got done for failing to report that he was approached to throw games. He says it was just talk to get out of a dodgy situation. Now even if he was lying and had been prepared to take money,the fact is he didn't. It's only talk,after all if we got done just for talk the whole world would be In prison as we've all said " I'll kill you " at some stage but most of us don't kill anyone.
John Higgins never actually went through with it or take any money or place any bets or recruit any young players to cheat. These are the things these guy's did,John Higgins just didn't report that he was approached. So he was charged with failing to report and was suspended and paid a fine. These guy's are cheats,they took the cash,they gambled,they threw matches they got others in on it,totally different. You should find out the facts before saying it's one rule for one and not for the other as that's rubbish. John Higgins is nowhere near as bad as these
Did Higgins fix matches?
I thought he was cleared of that.
But let's not let facts get in the way of a cool story.
Higgins was guilty of ONLY SAYING matches are easily fixed
@@Infinite_JS no he didn't, he got in trouble for not reporting that he was approached, but most people don't bother to find out the facts before commenting
The Chinese are big gamblers it was inevitable that at least one would be involved but I didnt expect so many.
And people don't gamble in the west? You're just being racist.
The problem is that when other top players miss a easy shot one thinks mmmm I wonder.
only ignorant kids do so
Good to see John Higgins featured in this video. For comparison, he got a 6 month ban and 85000 pounds (75k fine+10k costs). Importantly the CBSA has also imposed sanctions on the players including the two lifetime bans. That has not always been the case for Chinese national governing bodies, although given the practical monopoly of the WPBSA in world snooker, they probably did not have much choice. Long bans, particularly lifetime ones, are traditionally very difficult to enforce if contested at CAS so this might not be the end of the story. I suspect Chinese snooker will want to draw a line under it at this time though so I strongly suspect the bans to hold for this matter. (send me a reply in 5 years' time if I was wrong :p)
I think John Higgins should have had a massive ban, every time I see him I think damn cheat.
Just so everybody knows - John Higgins was set up. John Higgins never fixed a match nor was he ever charged with it, John Higgins never accepted money, nor ever was he charged with it, John Higgins never bet on himself to lose a match, nor was he ever charged with it. He was caught on secret hidden camera 'discussing' betting (which was one charge), and failing to report that discussion to the WPBSA (the second charge). He thought he was in the company of Russian Mafia and played along. For this heinous crime he received a 6-month ban and total fines and costs of £85k. The News of the World hacks that deliberately entrapped him received no punishment whatsoever, and are probably out there ruining more careers with impunity. It's a shame these type of journalists dont secretly film our leaders and politicians, I'm sure the conversations would be far more in the public interest, and wouldnt even need any inducement.
Stephen Lee ... in comparison, these Bans are pathetic... the only way to stop this is a life time ban,,, but,, we All know the Chinese like the Casinos.
The outcome of the investigation and it’s consequences for the offending players, absolute justice, protect snooker from be coming a farce.
Well deserved lifetime bans for Wenbo and Li Hang and you knew Xingtong and Bingtao were going to get cushier sentences with Xingtong being the less affected with them both being future stars of the game. Will that still happen now I don’t know. Still when you think of it what on earth were those two thinking? They both won Majors earning pretty good pay checks and to risk all that is unbelievable.
it does them no favours to the snooker world or to China's reputation. I would be happy to see them dominate the game as they do with table tennis, but that is all tarnished and ruined now thanks to their greed.
@@tonybarfridge4369你不懂中国人之间的社会关系，在这个事件当中有些人不是为了利益去做这件事，比如赵新童，他从小生活在一个富裕的家庭里，就算他成绩很糟糕也不至于因为一点散碎银两去做这样的事情。中国社会中有一个超越利益的关键词“人情”
@@aaronchien93 What gives u the faintest notion that I read Chinese?
@@tonybarfridge4369there’s a translate button mate. If he’s writing in Chinese how do you reckon he understood what you said
They say cheats never prosper and this serves to make a point
John Higgins did quite well. 😞
They must be stupid for being caught. If I fixed a match I would never leave a proof behind me.
I think they should NOT allow Chinese players and sponsors getting involve in snooker
Because of these cheats, fans will look every other Chinese player suspicious...🤔
Bring an overdose of dishonour to their country.... a whole bunch of them. What a shame
This is ridiculous.
STEPHEN LEE watching this news munching on his toffee 🍿
Should all be banned for life
This does not surprise me at all, because the Chinese are renowned for there gambling, and I do sadly fear for sport especially the likes of snooker and horse racing where betting and match fixing is happening all the time, so if the W.P.B.S.A are stamping down on this then good on them.
It's easy to take down snooker player if we don't want them in the game. Wether you comply with our demand or we'll make killing bet on you!
Its never good for snooker to see this, though it was predictably inevitable. The problem for me will always be the inconsistencies, higgins walked away basically having no serious implications although it was all seen on video, Stephen Lee, banned for 12 years. I know that the powers that prevail will tell us that its all about circumstances that we arent privvy to, but from a snooker fans point of view, there should be nothing less than a lifetime ban for anybody involved.
The video was heavily edited, sweetie, and Higgins walked away because the investigators obtained through subpoena the footage that was edited out and saw the violence inflicted on Higgins. Inform yourself properly.
@@MetteC5 I have informed myself properly,, I have eyes, I can see and form my own opinions, I question what I am told like any rational, objective, normal person would do, I don't acknowledge a body of lies made to fit a situation.
@@dougieroberts7045 Read my comment above again.
Young players were forced to do it,others wise they will gave the young players hell.
I bet they were gutted with those bans.
My only comment, they did not get big enough fine or a ban of at least ten years.
Cheat in/at Snooker and in the end you will get Snookered!
Some of them not do it for money. But for safety of himself or family
people seems to think 25 000$ was involved....we are talking millions here
Shame on all these players. They should have got longer suspensions to send a message to others.
I think some of them were forced to do that right???
Has the investigation uncovered that?
And forced by whom?
All open questions.
John Higgins only got a six month ban
What I have seen during my lifetime the Chinese that can afford it are big gamblers. It is just a shame they are all from the same country..
Sad for Zhao
This will haunt them for their lifetime as a snooker player.
NO it wont,,,, great players,, but Brain Dead.. Hence!!!!
It goes to show the pressure the guys were under not only for financial gain but let's face it China has a massive underground body not unlike the mafia they were probably told .you have a good mum and dad and even a sister .in other words a nice family .what would you do ?😢
Came here to say the same thing. China is a totalitarian hellhole, corrupt in a way only a dictatorship can be. Who knows what kind of pressure their families were put under back home.
Unfortunately, the WPBSA will never acknowledge this likely explanation because ......MONEY.
Why make assumptions?
absolutely
Triads are brutal man
兄弟，你想象力真丰富，如果你认为近十几年中国还有mafia存在，那这种可能性不低于纳粹变成英国的执政党
The sport has too many betting sponsors. Still lot did matches I seen it on live stream
Good, sport has no place for cheats, dont they tossed the coin and lost, so hopefully it will help to keep the game clean, but they all should have received life time bans as they would in most of major sports.
I wonder if these chinese players were trained from a young age solely for the purpose of match fixing.
On their dna
Good summary.
Glad you enjoyed it, James !!
Gambling ruins everything. It's like politics.
Fair judgements🎉
Good stuff need more of these scumbags get banned
go back a bit further and I can remember two of our players getting nicked one I know went to prison I think he is dead now ,,,he was a gambler and lost all his money....I will come back when I remember his name,
steven lee got a 12 year ban
Chinese again...why am I not surprised?
I hope people will remember what they did rather than the over the top lambasting John Higgins got over the years.
Yan Bingtao: ‘Can you re spot the white please, ref?’
Didn't he ask for it to be cleaned? I think he was joking, too.
@@castleanthrax1833 That’s the point. He WASN’T joking and really thought he’d get away with blatant cheating!
@@castleanthrax1833 Yep, you’re right, he wanted it cleaned ffs. If he was joking he would have smiled. Take a look at the clip again etc.
@Sircxx You sound kind of confused. First, you say he wanted the white "re-spotted" (I'm not sure how that works), and now you're sure he wasn't joking. Are you sure you don't want to collect your thoughts and get back to me?
@@castleanthrax1833 Of course and my apologies! I think I was half asleep earlier. Yep, he asked the ref to clean the white hoping for an advantage when it was replaced. The crowd thought he was having a joke but he was trying to cheat 100%. Just look at the expression on his face and his body language. Dead give away. Does that help?? Lol
Introduce gambling and fixing will follow, never get one without the other.
good riddance to bad rubbish
How much Higgins got? Can anyone remind?
Hello sir, I heard about a Chinese group that sells fixed matches, do you know about this
should have been minimum of 10 years
Bad news for these guys.
Probably never see a few of them in snooker again.
They knew what they were doing.
Life time ban for the whole lot.
lifetime bans? steven lee only got 12 years
I assume that there was pressure exerted on the young players, especially so from "rich and powerful "Chinese folk" who wished to get even richer. Unfortunately, they are out of reach of Snooker's discipline. But if there are these outsiders, they also ought to be ashamed for participating in the ruin of several young lives. Even if any of these players return to the sport after the ban has ended, will they ever recover from this? To any young player who loves the sport, if someone tries to convince you to "throw" a game, just say NO!
On China’s snooker live broadcast platform, the anchors are deliberately avoiding the match-fixing incident. They use nationalism to guide the audience. From snooker coaches to players, they don’t care about the cheating of match-fixing.
Cheating means there is problem with the structure of the system, all can be done is to correct the problem.😅
Why out of nearly 30k views not even 200 gave a 👍? These players were trying to win extra£££'s gambling on fixed results when their already in a dream job, for me a snooker fan nearly 50yrs it's 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 continuous
So, right now in snooker in China, Junhui Ding is the last hope but won't last long.
There are are (were!) about 24 Chinese ranked pro players including these 10.
@@adrianwright8685 But only before being discover match-fixing scandal.
@@suyuanxie8022 yes - but there are still now 14 - not just Ding as you implied.
@@adrianwright8685 Because even in China, Chinese snooker fans only recognize Ding instead of others.
@alanwatt13 Maybe
WTF the Chinese are bangers for fixing!
If you look at some snooker matches and you see players missing the simple of shots than I think there is more going on then just these Chinese players.
All players miss some easy shots. Fixing is nearly always detected from 'suspicious' betting patterns. To lose a match or frame deliberately would be extremely easy and would not necessitate missing any easy shots.
@unicornstar8061 i think so! The final of German Master 2022 with score of 9-0, i think it wasn't normal!!
Yan bingtao, didn't play as a person who has lost a few fames and he is losing the whole match, his face look like so relax and playing in a exibitional match!! 9-0? Who won that lotto for betting on that impossible result?!! It is crippy and I think the WFBSA just didn't want to lose his talent, so he is not banned like others! He is obviously discounted!
Something else, when 10 players are involved in match-fixing scandal, it means it is not a simple case and there many people in behind of that scenario, so let's suppose it like systematic mafia's corporation, and i think the snooker governor looks the case much better! When the prizes aren't reasonable, i think everything is possible!!
Ban them all for life and take away any titles they won. We don't want cheats in any sports. If you are good enough why do it ???
Imagine you cheat to lose haha...
who caught them?
Hi, my name id Bingham, i am also a cheat
Good stuff. Damn thieves.
Amazing
What a shock
Fantastic - good riddance!
When Higgins did it that was ok... hypocrites
Mark King next?
Or another Chinese player, Markku Kingao...
@@scienceevolves4417 dude. That’s shocking.
Need cash for digs scran and juice 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
They all get caught due to a Chinese player who refuse their offer and reported them to WPBSA. Does it ring a bell who that Chinese bloke is?
Unless maybe he did less? What i ma guessing most be the case… why is zingtong allowed to play like bascially in a years time??? And all others ages awY? Is is cause he did less….?? Or is ir cause he is a uk champion and looks to be the best upcoming and chinise snooker needs him to be playing they need zingtong with his style and game to preomote chinise snooker
Xintong got banned for betting and helping someone (judging by the dates given, I think Yan) fix matches, so didn't do as much wrong. Wenbo and Hang encouraged other players to fix matches, and apparently even threatened other players to do so, as well as fixing matches themselves. Overall, Xintong did less wrong than Hang and Wenbo.
You must've shat on your keyboard, good grief
8 players got between 2 and 7 year bans. None of them will be able to attempt to regain pro status at Q School until at least May 2025
@@adrianwright8685 Zhao Xintong and Chang Bingyu can come back with Stephen Lee in 2025!
It's because his offence was far less. The punishments are proportionate to the scale of the defence. Still,I think any of the 8 not banned for life is likely to get a frosty reception upon their return,at least in the short term.