World Snooker, in consultation with the WPBSA, has taken the decision to defer Yan Bingtao’s two-year tour card to the start of the 2016/17 season.
Yan qualified for the Main Tour for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons by winning the IBSF World Amateur Championship, but has since been unable to obtain a visa to travel to the UK. It is has been decided to allow Yan to complete his education in China and then join the tour in 2016/17, at which point he should be eligible for a working visa. Yan is an exceptional talent having been one half of the team that recently won the Snooker World Cup, with his playing partner Zhou Yuelong.
It has also been decided that, in light of the decision regarding the deferral of Yan’s tour card, an International Development Main Tour Card invitation has been issued to Igor Figueiredo as the Brazilian National Champion. Figueiredo has been long considered an outstanding talent who has struggled to fulfil his potential on the international scene as a result of visa and funding issues. It is hoped that this international development tour card will help Figueiredo to realise his potential and in turn help expand the game across South America.
