When the world’s biggest and most important snooker tournament gets underway at Sheffield’s venerable Crucible Theatre, this time it won’t be about sport.
The hunt for maximum breaks and the World Cup crown could be overshadowed in 2023 by what may be the biggest manipulation scandal in the history of the sport. Ten Chinese players and, for almost a month, Englishman Mark King are currently suspended due to allegations of manipulation. It’s about possibly postponed games and intentionally missed balls, but also about confidants and gambling addiction.
The investigations are ongoing, the proceedings are pending – of all things during the World Cup, which begins on Saturday (11 a.m. / Eurosport). The clean sport has already gotten a lot of dirt. “If there are scandals like the one in snooker at the moment, it’s an immense damage to reputation. You can’t argue that away,” said expert Rolf Kalb of the German Press Agency. Especially since not only unknown professionals are affected, as the examples King and Yan Bingtao, former Masters winner, show.
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In addition to Bingtao, the allegations are directed against nine other Chinese players, the best known of whom is Zhao Xintong, who is still in the top ten in the rankings. So far, they have not commented publicly after the suspension.
Jason Ferguson, as head of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), has announced drastic consequences – and reacted to the development with emotional words. “It’s a heartbreaking situation for those of us that have been involved with the sport for a long time and have worked to make it the great sport it is,” Ferguson said.
Different reactions
The reactions of the stars were very different. Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, who is fighting for his historic eighth title in Sheffield, put it in perspective: “Before you start criticizing those involved, you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes.” There are actually only two reasons for such actions: Either gambling addiction, which the Englishman King publicly admitted years ago. Or the struggle to make ends meet financially.
“The Rocket,” as O’Sullivan is known, went further after the January release, saying on the subject of cheating in sports, “I’m sure it’s happened in football, tennis and golf too, and it hasn’t harmed.” Other actors reacted much more energetically. Former world champion Shaun Murphy spoke of disappointment and abuse of trust if the allegations were confirmed. “These are people you shook hands with before games and they cheated on you. It leaves a real emptiness,” Murphy said.
Snooker commentator Kalb assumes – initially in the case of the affected Chinese – longer bans. “Since immediate bans have been imposed and the players have not appealed, I assume these are serious allegations. I expect some to end up with very long bans.” The King case later came to the public and should therefore be tried later.
