China has become a global leader in snooker in the last decade. 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. However, the Chinese have not yet had a world championship winner. As the sport becomes more popular, it is anticipated that the number Chinese snooker player will rise rapidly.
Chinese snooker champions are revered in China. Many thousands gather to see tournaments. They are treated like celebrities and get champagne receptions. More and more young athletes are joining the sport as it grows in popularity. Among the younger players are Tian Pengfei and Zhang Jiankang.
Despite China having become the leading force in snooker over recent years, another scandal has rocked this sport. Former professional player Yu Delu was suspended on 1 December for match-fixing. Yu is currently on a 10-year ban. WPBSA also investigates match-fixing allegations in betting.
While no specific players have been banned, the suspensions cast a shadow over the sport. There are only 12 Chinese players in the top 64 of the world. After Zhao Xintong, Li Hang and Li Hang were added on to the suspension list, that number has been reduced by 11. 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 due to participate in the next World Snooker Tour event. After being drawn against Mark Williams in Round 1, he was disqualified. 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. He is considered to be the best player in the sport. In a global investigation into match-fixing, he now faces criminal charges.
Another Chinese player that has been investigated is the former world no. 11 Liang Wenbo, who was suspended in October. Numerous other Chinese athletes were also punished for alleged cheating. These are a small number compared to the hundreds of millions of fans who have followed the sport in China.
However, the World Tour has a lot of Chinese players which shows the popularity of the game in China. Indeed, more tournaments are being held in the country.
But, China still has a long way to travel before they can match the success of the UK. There are more tournaments in China, and more Chinese players are getting into professional snooker.
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. Despite not having won a world championship, Ding has stated that he would like to win the World Championship.