WPBSA Statement | 6 June 2023

Today the independent WPBSA Disciplinary Commission has delivered its decision on the ten players charged with match fixing offences and have issued two lifetime bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, and lengthy bans for the other players concerned.

1. Liang Wenbo has been given a lifetime ban from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in costs.
2. Li Hang has been given a lifetime ban from snooker and is to pay £43,000 in costs.
3. Lu Ning has been given an 8 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 5 years and 4 months until 6 April 2028. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
4. Yan Bingtao has been given a 7 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and plea of guilty, to 5 years until 11 December 2027. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
5. Zhao Xintong has been given a 2 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 1 year and 8 months until 1 September 2024. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
6. Zhao Jianbo has been given a 3 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 4 months until 7 April 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
7. Chang Bingyu has been given a 3 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years until 7 December 2024. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
8. Bai Langning has been given a 4 year suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 8 months until 6 August 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
9. Chen Zifan has been given a 7 year and 6 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 5 years until 20 December 2027. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.
10. Zhang Jiankang has been given a 4 year and 5 months suspension, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to 2 years and 11 months until 1 December 2025. He is to pay £7,500 in costs.

Jason Ferguson WPBSA Chairman said “This has been a very complex case. It has been heart-breaking to see some young talented players fall foul of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players. This behaviour has been recognised as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognised snooker in any way.

“Those who try to corrupt sport are constantly trying to find new ways to avoid our monitoring processes and this outcome must be taken as a lesson to those who think they can avoid detection. If any player is involved in fixing a snooker match, they will be caught and will face severe penalties.

“I am pleased that the Commission found that they did not see from the present case “any evidence of a wider culture of wrongdoing in snooker”. The WPBSA will continue its strong stance against those who try to manipulate sport and today’s outcome sends out a clear message that match fixing will not be tolerated in snooker.”

The circumstances of the case are that following an alert in August 2022 from Sportradar and subsequently the International Betting integrity Association (IBIA), the WPBSA Integrity Unit working closely with Sportradar carried out a detailed investigation that led to charging ten snooker players with serious breaches of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations. Pending the determination of those breaches the ten players were each suspended.

The WPBSA in accordance with the WPBSA Conduct Regulations, asked Sport Resolutions to appoint an independent King’s Counsel to hear the case against the ten players. Ian Mill KC was appointed to Chair the Independent Disciplinary Commission sitting with Grace Cheng of Counsel and Gordon McKay.

The case was heard in London between the 24th and 26th April and on 3rd May 2023 with the players attending in person or by video link. The Players were each legally represented or assisted by the WPBSA Players Association.

On 6th June 2023 the Disciplinary Commission released its finding on the contested charges and its decision on the sanctions to be imposed:

1. Liang Wenbo has been found in to be in breach of the Conduct Regulations as follows:

• That he fixed or was a party to fix five snooker matches between 24th July and 28th September 2022
• That he solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged, or facilitated players to fix nine matches between 24th July and 13th December 2022
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.
• That he behaved in conduct that was corrupt by threatening another player and making him delete his messages on his phone.
• That he threatened another player to seek to persuade him not to assist the WPBSA enquiry.
• That he on or after 1st September 2022 when aware of the WPBSA enquiry covered up or attempted to cover up his involvement in match fixing by deleting messages on his mobile phone and by requesting that other players deleted messages on their phones.
• That he failed to cooperate with the WPBSA enquiry by failing to attend interviews and provide material requested by the WPBSA enquiry.

2. Li Hang has been found to be in breach of the Conduct Regulations as follows:

• That he fixed or was a party to fix five snooker matches between 24th July and 29th September 2022
• That he solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated players to fix seven snooker matches between 24th July and 13th December 2022.
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.
• That he on or after 1st September 2022 when aware of the WPBSA enquiry covered up or attempted to cover up his involvement in match fixing by deleting messages on his mobile phone and by requesting that other players deleted messages on their phones.

3. Lu Ning was found not to have been involved in inducing others to fix matches. He accepted the following:

• That in the 2014-15 season he fixed three snooker matches that he played in
• That he on 23rd July 2022 he fixed one snooker match that he played in.
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.
• That he on or after 1st September 2022 when aware of the WPBSA enquiry covered up or attempted to cover up his involvement in match fixing by deleting messages on his mobile phone.

4. Yan Bingtao accepted the following:

• That he on 29th August 2016 fixed one match that he played in
• That he between 3rd March 2022 and 29th September 2022 fixed three snooker matches that he played in.
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.

5. Zhao Xintong accepted the following:

• That he on 3rd March and 11th March 2022 he was a party to another player fixing two snooker matches.
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.

6. Zhao Jianbo accepted the following:

• That he on 26th August 2022 fixed a snooker match that he was playing in
• That he bet on the snooker match that he fixed.

7. Chang Bingyu accepted that he on 28th September 2022 had fixed a snooker match that he was playing in.

8. Bai Langning accepted that he on 26th September 2022 had fixed a snooker match that he was playing in.

9. Chen Zifan accepted the following:

• That he between 24th July and 23rd August 2022 fixed or contrived, or were a party to an effort to fix or contrive the result or score of three snooker matches that he played in

10. Zhang Jiankang accepted the following:

• That he on 22nd July 2022 fixed a match that he was playing in
• That between 1st September 2019 and 31st December 2022 he bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.
• That he failed to provide information requested by the WPBSA

The respondents have until 20th June 2023 to appeal the decisions of the Disciplinary Commission.

The full finding of the Independent Disciplinary Commission can be found here.