Snooker and match-fixing scandals in recent years
As far as snooker is concerned, corruption allegations are nothing new. Match-fixing in particular is one of its most investigated flaws, and the recent suspension of 10 Chinese players, including 2021 UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong, has been a great call for concern. Generally, fixing a match is such an offense that does not only hamper the credibility of a given sport but equally, as one of its prime motives, influences the betting market in such a way as to have even the best Asian and European bookmakers deeply worried.
The case
Snooker is considered one of the world’s fast-growing sports that has over the years attracted millions of fans worldwide. As with most sports, its growing popularity has equally captured the attention of bettors who constantly track the best offers on its events at their various online betting establishments. And while the scandal of match-fixing has haunted the sport for decades, the most outrageous episode was recorded last year when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) announced the suspension of Yan Bingtao, Chang Bingyu, Zhao Xintong, and seven others as suspects of an ongoing match-fixing investigation.
According to the claims, these players had directed/indirectly been involved in fixing matches and betting on snooker to generate more profits. Consequently, they were “suspended from attending and competing on the World Snooker Tour and in other WPBSA governed events until the conclusion of the hearing or hearings and the determination of [the] matter,” reads a WPBSA statement.
The hearing, which was expected to hold in March, that is, before the Cazoo World Snooker Championship starting April 15, has been postponed until the end of April. This, therefore, mean the fate of the 10 suspended, who includes some of the most highly profiled snooker players, will continue standing on the fence as they miss one of the most important events in a snooker player’s career.
A lifetime ban for sowing the seeds of doubt
According to Shaun Murphy, a 2005 world champion and one of the most vocal and respectable voices in snooker, cases of this nature should be worth nothing less than a lifetime ban. “A complete life ban. From professional and amateur snooker. Their existence in the snooker world should be terminated. So strong is my feeling on it” sentenced the former champion. Moreover, “For the people who matter the most, the fans, it just leaves that shadow of a doubt when they are watching what is arguably the hardest single-player sport on the planet, such a skillful game. […] There’s that little doubt when a player misses a pot that they think they should get – things like this sows that seed of doubt among the public.”
Indeed, for a growing sport, scandals of this nature can be fiercely damaging. However, given the constant surveillance and the strict penalties involved, one can expect a better future for snooker. Meanwhile, the 10 players involved will still need to wait for the opportunity to prove their innocence. Yet, it certainly is reassuring for fans that competent organizations are taking the corresponding measures to ensure the transparency of the game. Perhaps one could start by checking out the available offers on its upcoming events via a betting account through the best agent.