China has become a major player in snooker over the past decade. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association is trying to support the sport in China. China has more than 50 million players of snooker, making it one of the top snooker countries in the world. But, China has yet to host a world champion. As the sport becomes more popular, it is anticipated that the number Chinese snooker player will rise rapidly.
Chinese snooker players have been hailed as icons of their country. Tournaments are watched by thousands of people. They are treated like stars, get red carpet entrances and champagne receptions. The sport is becoming more popular and more players are coming up. 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. Former professional player Yu Delu was suspended on 1 December for match-fixing. Yu is currently in a 10-year suspension. WPBSA also investigates match-fixing allegations in betting.
Although there have not been any bans on specific players, they cast a shadow over this sport. Only 12 Chinese players are among the top 64 in the world. This number has been reduced from 12 to 11, after Zhao Xintong was added to the suspension. Additionally, the CBSA is currently investigating allegations that Liang Wenbo and Lu Ning were involved with match-fixing.
However, the biggest name in the investigation so far is Yan Bingtao, who is the 2021 Masters champion. He was to take part in a World Snooker Tour tournament next month. After being drawn against Mark Williams, 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.
Another Chinese player, Zhao Xintong, is suspended from the World Snooker Tour. He was the world's number one player earlier this season. He is the world's number one player and is highly regarded 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 was suspended in October. A number of other Chinese players were reprimanded after being accused of cheating and abuse. These are just a handful of players in China, compared with the many millions of fans who follow the sport.
However, the World Tour has a lot of Chinese players which shows the popularity of the game in China. More tournaments are held in China.
To be able to compete with the UK, however, China has much to learn. More tournaments are being held, which means that more young Chinese players are finding their way into the professional snooker scene.
At present, the two highest-ranking Chinese players in the world are Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui. Ding has won numerous ranking titles, and he has an enormous following in China. Despite not having won a world championship, Ding has stated that he would like to win the World Championship.