China has been a rising force in the world of Snooker for the past ten years. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association has tried to improve the sport in China. 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 grows in popularity, it is likely that there will be more Chinese snooker players.
Chinese snooker stars are revered as icons in China. Thousands of fans gather to watch tournaments. They are treated as celebrities and have red carpet entries. Champagne receptions are also arranged. Younger players are becoming more popular as the sport gains popularity. 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, an ex-professional player, was suspended for match-fixing. Yu is currently on a 10-year ban. 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. There are only 12 Chinese players amongst the 64 best in the world. That number has been reduced to 11 after Zhao Xintong and Li Hang were added to the suspension list. Additionally, the CBSA is currently investigating allegations that Liang Wenbo and Lu Ning were involved with match-fixing.
Yan Bingtao who is the 2021 Masters Champion is the largest name in the investigation. He was supposed to play in the World Snooker Tour's next month event. 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 from China has been removed from the World Snooker Tour. He was ranked the no.1 player in the world earlier this season. He is widely regarded as one the most talented players in the sport. Now, he's being investigated in a global probe of match-fixing.
Other Chinese players that have been investigated include former world no. Liang Wenbo (suspended in October) was another Chinese player under investigation. Many other Chinese players have been disciplined for alleged abuse or cheating. This is only a fraction of the hundreds and millions of Chinese fans who have been following 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.
The country still has a lot of work to do before it can be as successful as the UK. Younger Chinese players are making their mark on the professional snooker circuit by participating in more tournaments.
Zhao Xintong (currently) and Ding Junhui (currently), are the top-ranking Chinese players worldwide. Ding has many ranking titles and has a huge following in China. Ding said that he wants to win the World Championship even though he had not won one.