Tue Sep 10 15:07:00 UTC 2024: ## Snooker Star Zhao Xintong Returns After Match-Fixing Ban
**Sofia, Bulgaria** – Chinese snooker star Zhao Xintong is set to make his return to the table later this month after serving a 20-month ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
Zhao, the 2021 UK Championship winner, was one of 10 Chinese players suspended last year following the sport’s biggest match-fixing scandal. While he was not directly accused of throwing a match, he admitted to being involved in other players fixing matches and betting on them himself. He received the lowest penalty of the 10 players, with a two-and-a-half-year ban initially reduced to one year and eight months after admitting his guilt.
His suspension, which began in January 2023, ends on September 2, allowing him to compete in the WPBSA Q Tour event in Sofia. He will face off against Vilius Schulte-Ebbert, a Lithuanian seven-time national champion, in his first match back.
Zhao’s primary focus now is to regain his spot on the World Snooker Tour for the 2025/26 season. The Q Tour offers a route back for professional players, with the top-ranked amateur at the end of the year earning a spot on the tour, along with three additional places available through a play-off.
The WPBSA released a statement last month confirming that Zhao had served his suspension and was eligible to play in WPBSA-governed events. The statement also clarified that the longer suspension imposed by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) only applies to mainland China, allowing Zhao to compete internationally.
Zhao’s return to the professional snooker scene will be closely watched, as the 27-year-old looks to rebuild his career after the match-fixing scandal.
First Piper 