The organization, though is not involved, but rather two players, to wit Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang, who is now facing a probe to establish whether they knowingly manipulated games.

More Chinese Players Become Focus of WTS Investigation

Both players have been issued with suspensions, as confirmed by WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson who said that the players would no longer be able to attend or compete in events. This suspension will apply for however time takes investigators to reach a meaningful conclusion in the case.

Xintong is currently ranked as the world’s ninth-best player, and Jiankang sits as 82 on the world’s leaderboard. Moving forward, both players will have to wait for a verdict to be reached. In an official statement, the body detailed:

The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought. Both Zhao and Zhang have the right to appeal this decision.

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson

The organization has known its fair share of similar issues over the past months. The previous case involved one Yan Bingtao, who was similarly accused of interfering with an event’s results. With the latest players given a suspension, this means that a total of ten Chinese players so far have been suspended from the World Snooker Tour, which could point to a deeper culture of fraud.

Match-fixing further undermines the trust that fans have in the contests as they are reluctant to watch, participate, attend, or even bet on the outcome of events themselves.