China has become a major player in snooker over the past decade. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has worked to promote snooker in China. There are over 50 million snooker players in China, making it the largest snooker playing country in the world. But the Chinese haven't yet seen a winner of the world championship. As the sport becomes more popular, it is expected that Chinese snooker will grow in popularity.
Chinese snooker champions are revered in China. Thousands of fans gather to watch tournaments. They are treated like A-list celebrities, receive champagne receptions and red carpet entry. There are more young players becoming involved in the sport, as the popularity grows. Among the younger players are Tian Pengfei and Zhang Jiankang.
Another scandal rocked snooker despite China's dominance over the sport in the past decade. Yu Delu, a former professional player was suspended in December for match fixing. Yu is currently on a 10-year ban. WPBSA is also looking into match-fixing allegations to bet purposes.
While no specific players have been banned, the suspensions cast a shadow over the sport. Only 12 Chinese players are among the top 64 in the world. After Zhao Xintong's suspension and Li Hang's addition, the number of Chinese players in the top 64 has fallen to 11. Moreover, the CBSA is investigating allegations that Liang Wenbo, Lu Ning and Chang Bingyu were involved in match-fixing.
Yan Bingtao is the 2021 Masters champion, and is the most prominent name in the investigation. He was to take part in a World Snooker Tour tournament next month. However, he was disqualified after being drew against Mark Williams in the first round. While he was considered to be the first Chinese player at a world championship, he has not commented on the ongoing investigation.
Zhao Xintong of China is also suspended from this year's World Snooker Tour. Earlier this season, he was ranked as the world's no. 1 player, and is regarded as one of the best in the sport. However, he is currently being investigated as part the global probe into match-fixing.
The investigation also included former world no. Liang Wenbo, who had been suspended in October, was also under investigation. Several other Chinese players have been reprimanded for alleged cheating or abuse. These are a small number compared to the hundreds of millions of fans who have followed the sport in China.
However, it is clear that the World Tour is enjoying widespread popularity in China due to the large number of Chinese players. More tournaments are held in China.
But, China still has a long way to travel before they can match the success of the UK. As more tournaments are held, more Chinese players are making their way into professional snooker.
Zhao Xintong & Ding Junihui are currently China's top two players. Ding has been awarded many ranking titles, and he is well-known in China. Ding, even though he hasn't won a World Championship, stated that he would like the World Championship.