China has been a rising force in the world of Snooker for the past ten years. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association tries to help China's snooker. China is home to more than 50 million snooker enthusiasts, making it the most populous snooker country. But, China has yet to host a world champion. As the sport becomes more popular, it is expected that Chinese snooker will grow in popularity.
Chinese snooker players are considered icons in their country. There are thousands of people who gather to watch the tournaments. They are treated like stars, get red carpet entrances and champagne receptions. The sport is becoming more popular and more players are coming up. Tian Pengfei is among the youngest players. Zhang Jiankang is also among them.
Despite China being the world's largest snooker player in the last decade, another scandal has rocked the sport. Yu Delu (former professional player) was expelled on 1 December after being charged with match-fixing. Yu is currently in a 10-year suspension. WPBSA are also investigating match-fixing allegations made for betting purposes.
Although no players were banned, suspensions have cast a shadow on the sport. There are only 12 Chinese players amongst the 64 best in the world. The suspension list added Zhao Xintong to the list and Li Hang to it has reduced that number to 11. Additionally, the CBSA is currently investigating allegations that Liang Wenbo and Lu Ning were involved with match-fixing.
Yan Bingtao is the 2021 Masters champion, and is the most prominent name in the investigation. He was supposed to play in the World Snooker Tour's next month event. He was eliminated after he drew with Mark Williams in the first round. His prediction of being the first Chinese player to win the world championship was high, but his comments regarding the ongoing investigation are limited.
Zhao Xintong (a Chinese player) has been expelled from the World Snooker Tour. Earlier this season, he was ranked as the world's no. He is considered to be the best player in the sport. In a global investigation into match-fixing, he now faces criminal charges.
The investigation also included former world no. 11 Liang Wenbo, who was suspended in October. Many other Chinese players have been disciplined for alleged abuse or cheating. This is a relatively small number when compared to the many millions of people who have followed the sport across China.
However, the World Tour attracts a lot of Chinese players. 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.
Zhao Xintong & Ding Junhui are currently the top-ranked Chinese players in the entire world. Ding has won numerous ranking titles, and he has an enormous following in China. Ding said that he wants to win the World Championship even though he had not won one.