𝐁𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: 𝐀 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐨 𝐗𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟…..𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞

In a stunning development for the world of cue sports, Chinese professional snooker star Zhao Xintong was previously suspended from the sport — but not for a positive drugs test as some rumors have suggested.

Zhao Xintong, one of the game’s brightest talents and former 2021 UK Championship winner, was suspended in 2023 by the sport’s governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) as part of an investigation into a widespread match-fixing and betting scandal involving several Chinese players.

After an independent disciplinary hearing, it was determined that Zhao did not directly fix any matches himself. Instead, he was found to have placed bets on matches and was ruled “liable as a party to” two match reports as part of the wider case. For this involvement, he received a 20-month suspension, which he served in full.

After serving his suspension, Zhao returned to professional play and staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern snooker history. In May 2025, he captured the World Snooker Championship, becoming the first Asian player to win snooker’s most prestigious title.

Contrary to circulating claims, there is no credible report confirming that Zhao Xintong has been newly banned due to a positive drugs test, doping violation, or similar infraction. Any such claims are unsubstantiated and contradict all current official sources.

The match-fixing saga that led to Zhao’s suspension involved multiple players and was one of the biggest integrity controversies in snooker history, prompting ongoing scrutiny of regulation and compliance in the sport.