Liang Wenbo and Li Hang are banned from snooker for LIFE

Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been banned from snooker for life after being found guilty of serial match-fixing.

Eight other Chinese players have also been handed lengthy suspensions in the biggest corruption scandal to ever hit the sport.

The biggest names punished are 2021 Masters champion Yan Bingtao, who will be off the tour until December 2027 following his five-year ban, and 2021 UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong, who cannot play until September 2024.

Lu Ning (five years and four months), Zhao Jianbo (two years and four months), Chang Bingyu (two years), Bai Langning (two years and eight months), Chen Zifan (five years) and Zhang Jiankang (two years and 11 months) are the other players suspended.

The strong sanctions were handed out on Tuesday by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) Disciplinary Commission following a hearing in April and May in London.

Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have both been banned from snooker after being found guilty of match-fixing

Liang – who won the 2016 English Open – and world No71 Li were found to be the ringleaders having fixed or been party to fix five snooker matches.

They also ‘solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated players’ to fix nine and seven matches respectively, as well as attempting to cover-up their involvement by deleting messages on their phones.

As well as their lifetime bans, they have both been fined £43,000.

The other eight players had their bans reduced because of early admissions and pleas of guilt and were fined £7,500.

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: ‘This has been a very complex case. It has been heartbreaking to see some young talented players fall foul of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players.

Yan Bingtao is another big name who has been punished after being hit with a suspension

‘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.’