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. There are over 50 million snooker players in China, making it the largest snooker playing country in the world. But, China has yet to host a world champion. As the sport grows more popular, it is predicted that Chinese snooker athletes will increase in number.
Chinese snooker players have been hailed as icons of their country. Many thousands gather to see 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 pengfei as well as Zhang Jiankang are some of 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.
Although no players were banned, suspensions have cast a shadow on the sport. There are 12 Chinese players among the 64 top-ranked athletes in the world. This number has been reduced from 12 to 11, after Zhao Xintong was added to the suspension. The CBSA is also investigating claims that Chang Bingyu, Lu Ning, and Liang Wenbo were involved in match-fixing.
Yan Bingtao is the 2021 Masters champion, and is the most prominent name in the investigation. He was due to participate in the next World Snooker Tour event. After drawing against Mark Williams in round one, he was disqualified. While he was expected to become the first Chinese player ever to win a championship in the world, his comment regarding the ongoing investigation is limited.
Zhao Xintong (a Chinese player) has been expelled from the World Snooker Tour. He was ranked world's No. 1 player earlier this year. He is considered to be the best player in the sport. But now, he is being investigated as part of a global probe into match-fixing.
Ex-world no. 1 Chinese players have also been investigated. Liang Wenbo, who had been suspended in October, was also under investigation. Other Chinese players were also disciplined for cheating and abuse. These are a small number compared to the hundreds of millions of fans who have followed the sport in China.
However, the World Tour features a large number Chinese players. This shows that the game has gained widespread popularity 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. As more tournaments are held, more Chinese players are making their way into professional snooker.
At present, the two highest-ranking Chinese players in the world are Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui. Ding has many ranking titles and has a huge following in China. Ding stated that even though he has not won a World Championship, he would love to.