Neal Foulds on Yan Bingtao's snooker match-fixing ban

Eurosport analyst Foulds has said he is bewildered by the course of action pursued by the 2021 Masters champion Yan Bingtao, who was banned for five years on Tuesday for fixing four matches and betting on the outcome of several others between 2016 and 2022.

Yan cannot return to the sport until December 2027 at the earliest after having a ban of seven years and six months reduced to five years for early admission and a guilty plea.

The talented 23-year-old former world No. 10 also has £7,500 to pay in costs, says the WPBSA report.

“It is a sad day for snooker and a disappointing outcome,” Foulds told Eurosport. “I have always been a big fan of Yan Bingtao and his game.

“I go back to the World Championship last year when he beat Mark Selby (13-10) in a fantastic game in the last 16 and pushed Mark Williams (11-13) all the way, taking so much out of him in the quarter-finals before he [Williams] met Judd Trump in the semis, a match he was so tired before.

“When you look at Bingtao’s case it is surprising, but most of all it is very disappointing to me.

“But in the case of Bingtao, he seemed to have a very good set-up here. He won the Masters two years ago and was in the sport’s top 16.

“I don’t know what possessed him to follow the path which the report suggests he did.

“Of all the players in question, his case is the most disappointing when you study the report.

“There is no getting away from that.”

Despite being able to appeal the punishment, Foulds does not see any way back for 2015 UK finalist Liang Wenbo or two-time ranking semi-finalist Li Hang in the sport.

He also suggests former UK and German Masters champion Zhao Xintong has a long road back despite being able to return to the sport at the earliest in September next year.

26-year-old Zhao was found guilty of being party to another player fixing two snooker matches and betting on matches between 2019 and 2022.

“There seems to be a lot going on in qualifying matches that the authorities were interested in,” noted Foulds.

“Judging by the report, I doubt if we will see Liang Wenbo or Li Hang play professional snooker again in the course of their lifetimes.

“There has been a mixture of punishments below that.

“The least draconian and stringent punishment has been Zhao Xintong’s ban.

“He could potentially return in September 2024. Of course, the problem he faces is that any ranking points he has accrued by then will have gone.

“But they are all going to have to earn their places back on the tour by playing in qualifying events.

“While it is a sad day for the sport, at least we know the report is pretty comprehensive in the way it has been put together at length in dealing with the evidence.”

Six other players were hit with a range of bans for their involvement – Lu Ning (five years, four months), Chen Zifan (five years), Zhang Jiankang (two years, 11 months), Bai Langning (two years, eight months), Zhao Jianbo (two years, four months) and Chang Bingyu (two years) – as the independent commission found "no evidence of a wider culture of wrongdoing" in the corruption probe.

“I hope this has sent out a strong message and you’d like to think this will be the end of it,” added Foulds.

“It can happen in and has happened in other sports over the years. Such as in tennis.

“You’ve got to play this game and dream of being a champion. Not to play snooker to earn money under false pretences.

“It is a very sad time, but the game will hopefully recover from it. All you can say, is that most players work hard at the sport in giving it their best.

“And hopefully the message will get through that this is never the way forward.”